A "stitched" architecture will reivindicate the collectivity of care during the Mugak Biennial

2025 January 11

• The fifth edition of the architectural event will construct three temporary interventions in the three Basque capitals during the months of October and November 2025.
• After a successful call for proposals from various countries, the jury has already chosen the winner for Donostia: a design that recovers embroidery as a tradition historically associated with care and female artisanal production.
• Under the name " Levedad y denuncia: el bordado como utopía en femenino", it proposes a space where care stops being an individual responsibility and becomes collective.

 

"Imagine a world where care tasks are not an individual responsibility, but a collective one." This is the proposal of the ephemeral architecture that the International Architecture Biennale of Euskadi Mugak/ will build next autumn in Donostia, a design that combines architecture, 3D printing, and embroidery.

Donostia has been the setting for a reflection on the utopia that intertwines memory, innovation, and social participation. Besides the winner, two other proposals have been awarded, and all three stand out for their ability to make historical and cultural narratives visible, turning public space into a place for meeting and dialogue about possible utopias. In this city, the Mugak/ Biennale explores how ephemeral architecture can be a vehicle for social change and collective creativity.

"Levedad y denuncia: el bordado como utopía en femenino"

The Donostia intervention will again be located at the Alderdi Eder esplanade, next to the city hall, as in the previous edition of the Biennale. This time, the chosen proposal is "Levedad y denuncia. El bordado como utopía en femenino," by the Madrid-based studio Izaskun Chinchilla Architects.

The design recovers embroidery, a tradition historically associated with care and female artisanal production, and elevates it to the category of architectural and political tool. Its approach not only reflects on the historical absence of female authors in utopian thought but also reivindicates their presence through the representation of a structure that symbolizes the struggles for equality, justice, and creativity in the urban context, and "embroiders" the boundaries between tradition and innovation, the past and the future.

The tensioned textile structure, with curved and lightweight forms, can host various activities under its canopy. It plays with tension and transparency to create an ephemeral and symbolic meeting space, a "safe place for child care," as stated by the studio. Additionally, its design includes the possibility of closing its ends, "creating an interior space that can be supervised, which facilitates the organization of workshops and meetings for parents." The location, in front of a children's area and the La Concha beach, is designed to make participation easier for those with caregiving responsibilities. Finally, it is also conceived as a space for assemblies, film screenings, and discussions on topics related to utopia, offering shelter from inclement weather. This integrated approach aims to foster a collaborative and reflective atmosphere within the community.

Traditional embroidery is combined with 3D printing technology, an approach aligned with sustainability and the goals of the Biennale. The jury highlighted the "outstanding ability to intertwine aesthetics, materiality, and cultural impact, successfully translating the Biennale's motto into a profoundly meaningful and thoughtful architectural proposal. The project highlights utopia from a feminist perspective, making visible how traditional practices associated with women, such as embroidery, can be a means to imagine and build alternative futures."

The decision was made by a professional jury featuring nationally and internationally relevant figures: the Biennale curator María Arana; the Director of Housing, Land, and Architecture of the Basque Government, Pablo García Astrain; the City Council's delegate for Diversity, Inclusion, and Environment, Iñigo García Villanueva; architect Tomás Valenciano, representing the COAVN Gipuzkoa; Aitor García, co-founder and technological director of the cooperative Indart3D, who will sponsor the architectural intervention and supply materials and technology for its construction; Samira Aït-Mehdi, architect from the École d’architecture et de paysage de Bordeaux; and architect Clara Hurtado from the Habic cluster.

Second prize and special mention

The jury decided to award second place, with a prize of €1,000, to the proposal "Zarcillo," from Madrid, created by Jesús San Vicente, Franca Colmenarez, and María Galán. It is a single 3D printed piece, a seemingly complex construction with geometry generated algorithmically by a single rotational operation. The jury appreciated "its modular and sustainable approach," as it "responds to the sustainability and circular economy goals of the call. Furthermore, it stands out for its ability to be dismantled and reused in other contexts."

Additionally, a special mention was awarded to "La utopía ya existe" by Oscar Cruz García and Paula Moraga Santano (Madrid), "for its formal boldness and its innovative reading of territory and heritage. The idea of reinterpreting historical elements as 'castles in the air' and transforming them into utopian visions for the future resonates deeply with the Biennale’s motto." The proposal suggests a contemporary reinterpretation of Monte Oriamendi, reversing its shape to return it to the city as a symbol of dialogue between nature, heritage, and the future. The jury particularly highlighted its aesthetic strength and its ability to generate debates around territorial transformation.

Interwoven proposals: a dialogue on utopia

In Bilbao, the proposal "Etxenoi" will be located at the Plaza de las Mujeres and will suggest, through reused materials, a reinterpretation of architecture as an exercise of collective responsibility. In Vitoria-Gasteiz, a wall will divide the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca with "Utopía: prohibited passage," a proposal that will challenge the existence of borders and invite citizen participation.

All the proposals intertwine and build a dialogue about utopia. The award-winning projects in Donostia turn public space into a stage where memory, innovation, and social participation merge to create meaningful encounters and shared reflections. This approach connects with that of Bilbao, which looks toward the future through the sustainable regeneration of its urban landscape, and with Vitoria-Gasteiz, which uses ephemeral architecture as a tool for critical expression in public space. Together, the three cities form a narrative circle where sustainability, memory, and collective expression combine to construct a multidimensional vision of possible utopias.