20 March 2019
by Elena Tamosiunaite
In this special event hosted by The Cass, the second Rogelio Salmona Fellow, Dominic Oliver Dudley, will present his research following a 6-week trip to Colombia in 2018. The talk will explore Salmona’s poetic approach to brickwork construction, followed by an informal Q&A.
Who is Rogelio Salmona and why don’t we know about this significant modern Colombian architect? Why did he dedicate his career to working with brick and what inspired his sculpted masonry architecture? Who are the craftsmen that built these significant buildings?
Colombian architect Rogelio Salmona was an articulate master builder. His bold geological compositions were more often than not sculpted in brick - Colombian earth shaped in the hands of Colombian makers. Whilst he was keen to distance himself from the utopian visions of his long-term European mentor Le Corbusier, there is no denying he was greatly influenced by his teacher’s unrivalled tectonic mastery of material and construction. Salmona’s unrelenting faith and skill with brick, from the scale of a step to a multi-storey tower block, is ever present. Brick was integral to the formation of his all encompassing body of work, endowing each and every project with an indigenous craftsmanship. His use of brick humanised his architecture and assisted him to fluently root his work into Colombian culture and society.
The British Council Rogelio Salmona Fellowship continues to explore and introduce an architect that remains relatively unknown in the UK, despite Salmona’s prolific career and powerful influence in Colombia and Latin America. The event will include details on this years open call, and is open to architects, designers and all creative practitioners who have an interest in exploring the work of Rogelio Salmona in Colombia.
Event details
Tuesday 9 April 2019, 19:00
The Cass School of Art, Architecture and Design
Calcutta House, Old Castle Street
E1 7NT London
Upon arrival at The Cass please ask to be directed to Basement Lecture Theatre GSB-01, where this talk will take place.
Attendance is free but registration is required
The Rogelio Salmona Fellowship
The fellowship programme running between 2017 and 2019 sets out to explore the legacy and contribution of Rogelio Salmona to architecture, culture, Colombian society and the Latin American region whilst fostering long-term links between the UK and Colombia.
The fellowship is organised by the British Council and coordinated by Más Arte Más Acción, in partnership with the Rogelio Salmona Foundation, the Museum of Modern Art Bogotá (MAMBO) and the Rogelio Salmona University Cultural Centre of the University of Caldas.