Llorenç Brunet: "The Manacor of the 20th century was not at all pretty"

ManacorLlorenç Brunet (Manacor, 1971) has been an architect from the Vallés School of Architecture since 1996 and founder of Llorenç Brunet i Associats SL in 2006. A few days ago he celebrated 30 years of practice, attempting to transform the physiognomy of the island from the pearl city. A good opportunity to talk with him about how he has seen this evolution based on a very particular and recognizable way of working.

How does he see his position as a benchmark in local architecture and how does he think his work is read now?

— The hardest part is understanding how the new generations will interpret it. All artists must find our own path where we feel comfortable. The first years are for research to find that form of expression that identifies you, which is transcendental.

And how has your approach evolved over the last thirty years?

— It has changed a lot, civilization has changed. What was requested at the end of the 20th century was completely different from what is requested now. The way of living, the relationship with housing and work have been transformed, partly due to the lack of global information we had back then, which made us more 'crude' conceptually. The relationship with clients has also changed; before, they were more conservative and followed traditional methods, which generated a certain chaos when one tried to introduce a coherent and detailed design. Little by little, both we and the local industry began to adapt to be able to build projects in an orderly manner.

Public work or private work?

— These are very different positions. In private work, you are a channel for the developer's needs, a relationship in which we feel comfortable. Public work is the opposite: an impersonal process based on competitions, where you propose a solution and there is no direct interaction with the 'client'. The teams are also different and the professional relationship has nothing to do with it.

People recognize his buildings, they say "this is Brunet's"...

— Yes, and having our work identified is a source of pride. Even though sometimes they may be mistaken and attribute works by other young architects with similar styles to us, the fact that people recognize a line that we began to introduce in Mallorca is a satisfaction.

Does this identity come from Nordic architecture or from simpler proposals in form and structure?

— My training was based on the great masters of the 20th century: Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright..., and on a brilliant generation of Spanish architects and Nordic or Japanese international references. However, today architecture must be localized. That global architecture of glass buildings without their own identity is over. We have evolved towards a greater appreciation of tradition well interpreted, seeking a balance between the form, the container and the use that would be the content. A building must be practical and efficient, not just beautiful.

Does an architect need the admiration of others?

— At first yes, especially because of the training received that empowers you to change society. But soon I realized that what is most valuable is having a good project and construction team. Individual leadership or 'medals' have lost importance for me. A moderate but well-built project gives a much better result than a very ambitious one but poorly executed. The whole is more composed and well-rounded.

Is there more Brunet for the next 30 years?

— I really like what I do and the people I work with, so I don't plan on retiring anytime soon. The design phase, with professional maturity, becomes more comfortable. The construction supervision phase, on the other hand, is always demanding, as meetings focus on solving problems. However, when the team is good, everything is resolved positively. That is why recognition is important, to focus on what is positive.

Speaking of changes, that nostalgic vision of the past in general and of Manacor in particular was a mirage, wasn't it?

— Manacor in the 20th century was not at all beautiful. Architecture is a reflection of society, and Manacor, for example, became a kind of urbanistically jagged mess, with four very tall buildings and an unbalanced urban layout that make it hardly a village anymore. Although there is still much to be done, public beautification policies and private initiative have greatly improved the environment. The Nadal academy has also helped, with its supporters and detractors, but it attracts attention and investment to the town. The client and the market in general have changed for the better.