IMAGE
IMAGE
IMAGE
IMAGE
IMAGE

Ontopias
Office for Strategic Spaces

ÁNGEL BORREGO CUBERO Edited by Paula V. Álvarez

This first title of EDITABLES collection not only investigates the work of the OSS and Ángel Borrego Cubero, but also the diverse and complex subject matters he has been dealing with to such an extent that the book can be considered another one of his collaborative and cross-media research projects.

    Printed limited edition
    <iframe frameborder="0" height="623px" src="http://book-a.net/widget/booka/oss?lang=en" width="298px" scrolling="no"></iframe>


    Contents

    At the close of the 20th century, the global triumph of the urban condition greatly intensified many of the problems related to intervention in urban contexts (and in space) that were foreseen in previous decades by various neo-Marxist elaborations on the heterogeneous condition of space. Disciplines such as anthropology, sociology and geography plunged into spatial questions to generate new visions and tools, progressively constructing an idea of social or common space as a matter of practices, creative inhabitation and the activity of citizens. In turn, punishment was inflicted on architecture due to its inoperability in the face of complexity and the cross-cutting nature of spatial and urban problems. However, since the late 1990’s a series of professional studies has been engaged in an incessant exploration of architecture mediums as a social agent. With a critical attitude towards that which is conventional and standard, they drift further away from modern heroism and the utopia of the neo-vanguardists. Architecture is understood as an act of mediation on a variety of fronts and is susceptible to reorientation to favour social appropriation, reflection and self-criticism. However, architecture does not have the power or the duty to resolve or carry the weight of complex urban matters on its own. The work of the Office for Strategic Spaces (OSS), founded by Ángel Borrego Cubero, can be regarded as one of these modest yet ambitious extra-disciplinary approaches to urban development.

    Educated and trained as an architect, Ángel Borrego Cubero has produced cross-cutting work that relies on various medium (preferably site specific installations, new media and video installations) to reflect upon complex questions such as the contemporary urban condition, the incessant negotiations between public and private spaces, spatial violence, surveillance mechanisms and fictions in architecture. It is interesting to observe how this de-normalised approach towards spatiality and urban development and even towards architecture itself, although spread across other disciplines importing “external” techniques and references, has originated from professional practice: from an office in practice. This is how constructive, material and formal questions, far from being scorned, are reinvented and nourished with creative and impartial visions of collaboration among agents, disciplines, knowledge and mediums, emphasising the role of cultural representations as co-producers of reality.

    Edition

    This first title of EDITABLES not only investigates the work of the OSS and Ángel Borrego Cubero, but also the diverse and complex subject matters he has been dealing with to such an extent that the book can be considered another one of his collaborative and cross-media research projects. Respecting the format of the EDITABLES collection, which invites authors to elaborate a careful collage of references, texts, projects and documents, this book offers a singular assemblage: intertwine architectonic production in physical and intellectual space. Ángel Borrego Cubero’s doctoral thesis will act as a script for a variety of episodes in which research topics and questions will intersect or become inhabited by architectonic and artistic production, generating a game of complicities, reflections, symmetries, fictions and suspicions that will give rise to latent questions and new lessons.

    In the images: Superman [First tale]. Action Comics, No. 1. June 1938. p.3 / Mallory, Keith; Ottar, Arvid. Architecture of Aggression. Architectural Press, 1973 / Watt, Andrew; Nagayama, Yasuo. Karera Ga Yume-Mita 2000-Nen [The Year 2000 They Dreamed Of]. Tokyo: Shinchōsha Shobō, 1999. p. 164. “Parents in Europe can say ‘Good morning’ to their son, even though he’s in China or South-East Asia. (Advertising card, France, c. 1900) / Yellow pages USA, area code 609. 1997 / Embutidos al vacío. Property of OSS.

    Images courtesy of © Simona Rota y O S S.

    Protagonists

    OFFICE FOR STRATEGIC SPACES (OSS) is an office of art and architecture based in Madrid. It works with a network of international collaborators from different disciplines who share an interest in contemporary urban space and its economic, social and cultural implications. For their work in architecture, OSS achieved public recognition after winning the First Prize in the Competition of ideas for the Civil Registry in the Campus of Justice in Madrid, 2008. In 2012, Ensanche! / Pump Up Housing!, a research in the rehabilitation of massive housing neighbourhoods, is a finalist in the 'Research' category of the Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism, Spain and selected in the category 'Share It' of the Festival Eme3 Bottom-Up.

    The working methods of OSS cross various disciplines and references. Thus, they design installations for public spaces, such as at the Art Fairs ARCO 2003 and 2004, El Matadero in Madrid, the Artium Museum in Vitoria, the Z1 Museumspark in Rüdersdorf - Berlin or at the Biennial of Spanish Architecture in Madrid; carry out research projects, such as Mutant Bridges, Pump Up Housing!, or the documentary The Competition on architectural competitions; design projects for exhibition venues, for example for the Museum Reina Sofía (Arte e Imagen en Movimiento), Casa Asia (Filipiniana) San Jose Biennial, in California, USA (01SJ), LABoral Gijón (FeedForward), Jesús de Pozo (monograph collection); design single-family homes and social housing (House Space Invader, Borrego-Duerr House, House Murakami, Mixed Use in Zaragoza, Social housing Orcasitas , Social Housing Carabanchel) or develop planning strategies (Solar Decathlon Madrid, AZCA, Post-tsunami Housing in Japan). OSS’s activity has been reflected in national media such as TVE1, TVE2, El Pais, ABC, El Mundo, as well as in specialized national and international journals: Arquitectura Viva, Pasajes de Arquitectura, Future, A10 or Journal Spéciale'Z. Angel Borrego Cubero is Doctor of Architecture from the Polytechnic University (ETSA Madrid, Spain), Master in Architecture from Princeton University (New Jersey, USA), where he studied on a Fulbright scholarship. He has taught at Princeton University, Pratt Institute in New York and at the University of Alicante. He currently teaches within the Department of Architectural Design at the School of Architecture of Madrid (ETSAM). His work has been exhibited in exhibitions such as Art Fair ARCO, the Museum of Modern Art Reina Sofia, the LABoral Gijón, etc. His artworks are represented by the gallery Heinrich Ehrhardt.

    COLLABORATIONS: Ábalos&Herreros / Carolina Azcona / Sony Devabhaktuni / Angel Jaramillo / Natalie Jeremijenko / Jana Leo / Simon Lund / Estanislao Pérez Pita / Chris Sugrue. PROJECTS TEAM: María Buey / Lara Caballero Salayero / Ursula Campana / Diego Colón / Vanessa Döning / Cristina Entero Arranz / Fran Gallardo / Marta García / Loreto García Sánchez / Giuliana di Gregorio / César Harada / Cristina Hortigüela / Elena Larriba / Elena Lozano Brackelmanns / María López Ferrero / Timothée Kazmierczak / Sofía Marín / Paula Martínez / Pietro Pezzani / Bárbara Palacios / Alba R. Illanes / Beatriz Riber / Pablo Rodríguez Parada / Sara Santos Casilllas / Gäel Urzáiz / Natalia Vera Vigaray / Sara Verd / Yao Zhihua

     

    PAULA V. ÁLVAREZ earned a degree in architecture from the ETSA in Seville (2001). Between 2001 and 2009, she combined her professional work with theoretical-practical research, writing and editing. Since 2009, she has gradually shifted her focus towards creative projects that integrate research and edition. She regularly writes for specialised publications and participates in educational and curatorial activities. Since 2006 she has carried out numerous research and editorial projects in her main field of interest: the disciplinary reconsideration of architecture in the face of challenges presented by urban contexts. She was the main researcher (along with José M. Galán) in the research project Nuevos Modelos de Espacio Público (2010-2011), and was Finalist for Spain at the 8th Ibero American Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism 2012 in the category 'Research'. She was co-director of the magazine Neutra for the College of Architects of Seville (2006-2010), with a project dedicated to the contemporary city. She was winner in the publications category at the 6th BIAU, 2008. She was granted the Malaga Architecture Diffusion Award in 2009. Also in 2009, she founded Vibok Works and received the ex aequo FAD Award on Thought and Criticism 2011 for the book Arquitecturas Colectivas/ Collective Architectures.

    Details

    Title: Ontopias. Office for Strategic Spaces.
    Author: Angel Borrego Cubero et al.
    Editor: Paula Victoria Álvarez
    Publisher: Vibok Works, EDITABLES collection
    ISBN: 978-84-939058-5-9
    Pages: 144
    Size: 16,5x24 cm (width·height)
    Illustrations: Color
    Language: English/Spanish

    Electronic Edition + Limited Printed Edition of 100 copies


    BOOK-ALLOW TRAJECTORY

    24%
    5.948€ to the printed limited edition
    • 2
    • 1
    Pledged: 1.942€
    Promoters: 16

    book-allow rewards

    • Credits

      Mention of your first and last name in the acknowledgements section of the book.

      9

    • Subscription

      One year subscription to all books available at the book-ary + Mention of your first and last name in the acknowledgements section of the book. Your subscription will start when the library-club is launched on June 2012.

      18

    • BOOK + SUSCRIPTION

      Numbered copy from the limited edition of 100 numbered copies + Mention of your first and last name in the acknowledgements section of the book + One year subscription to the book-ary. The amount includes domestic shipping within Spain. Add €4 for shipments within the EU and €6 for countries in the rest of the world.

      93 Items Left
      28

    • SIGNED BOOK + SUBSCRIPTION

      Numbered copy from the first 30 copies of the limited edition of 100 numbered copies with a dedication from the author in your name or the name of your choice + One year subscription to the library + Mention of your first and last name in the acknowledgements section of the book. The amount includes domestic shipping within Spain. Add €6 for shipments within the EU and €9 for countries in the rest of the world.

      9 Items Left
      40

    • ONTOPIC BOOK KIT + SUBSCRIPTION

      Numbered copy from the limited edition of 1060 numbered copies with a dedication from the author in your name or the name of your choice + Set of seven postcards illustrated with various architectural ontopics, choosed by Ángel Borrego Cubero + One year subscription to the book-ary + Mention of your first and last name in the acknowledgements section of the book. The amount includes domestic shipping within Spain. Add €9 for shipments within the EU and €14 for countries in the rest of the world.

      9 Items Left
      50

    • ¡ENSANCHE! BOOK KIT + SUBSCRIPTION

      Numbered copy from the limited edition of 100 numbered copies with a dedication from the author in your name or the name of your choice + Eco-sleeve ¡Ensanche! + One year subscription to the book-ary + Mention of your first and last name in the acknowledgements section of the book. The amount includes domestic shipping within Spain. Add €9 for shipments within the EU and €14 for countries in the rest of the world.

      10 Items Left
      50

    • EXTRA BOOK KIT + SUBSCRIPTION

      Numbered copy from the limited edition of 100 numbered copies with a dedication from the author in your name or the name of your choice + Set of seven 'Reasonable Suspicions' postcards + Eco-sleeve ¡Ensanche! + One year subscription to the book-ary + Mention of your first and last name in the acknowledgements section of the book.The amount includes domestic shipping within Spain. Add €9 for shipments within the EU and €14 for countries in the rest of the world.

      10 Items Left
      60

    • SPECIAL EDITION FOR COLLECTORS + SUBSCRIPTION

      Numbered copy from the special limited edition of 10 numbered copies with a set of Superheroes Buildings cutouts + One year subscription to the book-ary + Mention of your first and last name in the acknowledgements section of the book.

      4 Items Left
      120

    • BOOKA COLLECTIONS SET + SUBSCRIPTION

      Exclusive set of the six seed titles from book-a with numbered copies from the first 10 copies in the limited edition of 100 numbered copies, with a dedication from the authors + One year subscription to the book-ary + Mention of your first and last name in the acknowledgements section of the book. The amount includes domestic shipping within Spain. Add €16 for shipments within the EU and €25 for countries in the rest of the world.

      4 Items Left
      150

    • NATIONAL LIBRARIES PACK + SUBSCRIPTION

      Donation of the book to 5 national libraries of the author's choice + Numbered copy from the limited edition of 100 numbered copies + One year subscription to the book-ary + Mention in the acknowledgements section of the book + Logo in our web.

      10 Items Left
      250

    • INTERNATIONAL LIBRARIES PACK + SUBSCRIPTION

      Donation of the book to 5 international libraries of the author's choice + Numbered copy from the limited edition of 100 numbered copies + One year subscription to the book-ary + Mention in the acknowledgements section of the book + Logo in our web.

      10 Items Left
      350

    • EXTRA LIBRARIES PACK + SUBSCRIPTION

      Donation of the book to 10 international libraries of the author's choice + Numbered copy from the limited edition of 100 numbered copies + One year subscription to the book-ary + Mention in the acknowledgements section of the book + Logo in our web.

      5 Items Left
      600