.....................................................................................................................................
Fernando Donis | Evolution in the age of crisis
.....................................................................................................................................
It is already widely seen and written that the factual economic downturn has brought crisis to the current architectural production. We believe though, that the very architectural ‘crisis’ in its most dramatic ideological impasse is finishing, and that the awakening is about to begin. Rather than seeing the coming years as a total recession, we foresee an actual evolution by rethinking the relationship between economy and architecture, where architects can ultimately engage and consciously project the city, rather than retroactively continue accepting its incomprehensibility.
.....................................................................................................................................
Fernando Donis was in charge of numerous projects as senior associate at the Office for Metropolitan Architecture with Rem Koolhaas for seven years, such as the Renaissance Tower and Porsche Design Towers in Dubai, the New Jeddah International Airport in Saudi Arabia, and the designer of the CCTV (China Central Television) Headquarters building in Beijing. He was also responsible for leading international competitions such as the Aramco Cultural Center, Gazprom Headquarters, Baja Resort Mexico, Guangzhou Opera House, CBD Beijing, Beijing Books Building, Gent Forum, Cordoba Congress Center, and Dubai Future City and Dubai Land master plans, among many others.
Coincidentally founded on the 15th of September 2008 (the day the market collapsed), DONIS is an architectural office developing a grammar for the city while rethinking the relationship between economy and architecture.
DONIS is presently developing projects in the Netherlands and Mexico, as well as international competitions. Among its recognitions, DONIS received first prize for the design of the National Courthouse in Paris.
Fernando Donis is also a PhD candidate at the Berlage Institute and the TU Delft University.
.....................................................................................................................................
