Reflections about the words and drawings of Álvaro Siza in the Alhambra

The Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza is the central character of a book entitled ‘La Palabra y el Dibujo’ (The Word and the Drawing) by the architect Juan Luis Trillo de Leyva, a professor at the Seville Architecture School, which was presented at the Palace of Charles V. According to its author, this book is a “reflection on his work”.
Last Friday after receiving an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Granada, Siza did not want to leave the city without first dedicating a few words of thanks to the author of this book and to the hundred students who packed the events hall at the Palace of Charles V. He confessed that “the Alhambra inspires me. I like to rediscover it again and again”. In his speech, he also reminded the audience that “the word and the drawing” helped him to “discover my passion for architecture”.
Siza was in good company at the presentation of the book. Other speakers included the Director of the Council of the Alhambra and Generalife, María del Mar Villafranca, the Director of the Granada Architecture School, Emilio Herrera, and Juan Domingo Santos, an architect and professor at the Granada Architecture School.