Rafael de la Hoz
In 1920 his grandfather founded the architectural firm that bears his surname. In 1975, his father designed the Castelar building, one of the masterpieces of Madrid's architectural heritage. Today, in the 21st century, Rafael de La-Hoz faces the future with a successful curriculum and many projects yet to materialise. A future as promising as the roots of his own family tradition. With an architect son and his studio among the most prestigious in Europe, the works signed with the surname De La-Hoz will continue to form part of the history of our architecture.
It has fallen to Rafael de La-Hoz Castanys to open the legacy of a saga of architects to the challenges of a globalised world. As a result, his studio has been responsible for such important projects as the Repsol Campus, the Tower of Hercules, and the Gran Vía 48 building, among many others. A track record of success that demonstrates a maxim defended by the architect himself: vocation is also in the genes.
With the mosque of Cordoba as his architectural reference, de La-Hoz has developed his career by putting the idea before the aesthetic corsets of style. In his opinion, good architecture is that which allows the participation of those who inhabit it; that which is capable of adapting, not only to its first owners, but to all those who will come after them. Once again, a forward-looking perspective, which implies a timeless vocation for his works, something that is not at odds with formal avant-gardism and technical innovation. At Kronos Homes we identify with his philosophy of conceiving each project as a unique idea; designed for a specific context, to which it must contribute as a social agent. A good example of this are the three residential developments that De La-Hoz has signed for us and whose personality makes them unique.
On the one hand, The Edge, in Estepona, symbolises the encounter between the artificial and the natural. Located on the beachfront, its organic forms generate a delicate gradation from the horizon to the intimacy of the home, a round trip in which borders are blurred. Also facing the sea, but elevated on the hills of Sotogrande, De La-Hoz has designed La Finca, designed to recover the essence of one of the most exclusive urbanisations in the world. Finally, in its most urban facet, we find Tribeka, a landmark in Cordoba's urban planning, a benchmark of identity for a new neighbourhood, thanks to its unmistakable design.
Rafael de La-Hoz Castanys (Cordoba, 1955) is undoubtedly a reference point for architecture in Spain and beyond. And, as he himself says, his vocation is in his genes: "My grandfather and my father were architects. Therefore, I had no other choice...", he comments in the video Architects who inspire by Kronos Homes.
Rafael de La-Hoz, architectural genius in Spain
Indeed, before him, Rafael de La-Hoz Saldaña (1892-1949), first, and Rafael de La-Hoz Arderius (1924-2000), later, laid the foundations of a family tradition. In the case of the latter, in 1920 he founded the Rafael de La-Hoz Arquitectos studio, a forerunner in the modernisation of Spanish architecture and a pioneer in the field of sustainability.
A good example of this is that he contributed to the creation and promotion of the Technical Building Standards (NTE) in 1971. And that same decade he tackled one of his most emblematic projects: the tower of the former Banco Coca. Today known as the Castelar Building. From its elevated location on the Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid, it has defied the laws of gravity for almost half a century and, from its beginnings, the project crossed borders, thanks to the use of highly advanced construction techniques.
After the death of his father - Gold Medal for Architecture in 2000 - Rafael de La-Hoz Jr. took over the management of the architectural studio. Trained at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura in Madrid, and with an MDI master's degree from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, the Cordovan architect continued his father's work, embarking the firm on numerous projects.
With him at the helm, the studio designed large architectural complexes for the main Spanish multinationals and began an important process of internationalisation, which led to the firm's very active participation in major international competitions.
Considered one of Spain's most prestigious architects, Rafael de La-Hoz Castanys has left his distinctive stamp on works characterised by light colours, natural light and austere ornamentation, as well as an unequivocal commitment to sustainable architecture. A good example of this is that some of his projects have been awarded Breeam or LEED certification.
In addition, far from being confined to his studio, he stands out for his teaching and dissemination activities, as a visiting professor at different universities, lecturer and member of juries in internationally renowned competitions. Finally, among other responsibilities, he is a trustee of the Fundación Arquitectura Contemporánea and coordinator of the scientific committee of C-guide, the global guide to contemporary architecture.
The most famous works of Rafael de La-Hoz
Through his architectural firm, De La-Hoz has embarked on more than 500 projects in 20 different countries and for different uses. Among them, these are some of the most notable:
Corporate headquarters:
- Spanish Chamber of Commerce. Madrid.
- Endesa headquarters. Madrid.
- Repsol Campus. Madrid.
- Distrito Telefónica. Madrid.
Public and cultural facilities:
- Auditorium of the Spanish Olympic Committee. Madrid.
- Renovation of the Góngora Theatre. Cordoba.
- Daoiz y Velarde Cultural Centre. Madrid.
- Noble Oasis of the Qur'an. Medina, Saudi Arabia.
- Popular University of Alcobendas.
- Educational Centre for the University of Cordoba.
- New pavilion for the Rafael del Pino Foundation. Madrid.
Hospitals and research centres:
- Al-Hurriya University Hospital. Baghdad, Iraq.
- Siracusa Hospital. Italy.
- Bispebjerg General Hospital. Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Son Dureta University Hospital (Mallorca).
- Bio City. Istanbul, Turkey.
- Anxiang Hospital. China.
- Rey Juan Carlos University Hospital. Móstoles, Madrid.
- Campus for the Carlos III Institute. Madrid.
- Al-Shaab University Hospital. Baghdad. Iraq.
- Tangier University Hospital. Morocco.
- Ibn Sina Hospital. Rabat, Morocco.
Residential:
- Lagasca99. Madrid.
- Isla de Arosa. Alcalá de Henares, Madrid.
- Garibay3. Madrid.
- One Ninety Seven. Parramatta, Australia.
- Ordino Mountain Residential Resort. Andorra.
Offices and workspaces:
- Portico Building. Madrid.
- Colas headquarters and Trigone office building. Paris, France.
- Tower of Hercules. Los Barrios, Cádiz.
- Cristalia 4B. Madrid.
- Castelar Building. Madrid.
- April. Madrid.
- Oxxeo. Madrid.
- Castellana 79. Madrid.
- Aurelio Menéndez. Madrid.
- Bluebuilding. Madrid.
- Recoletos 37. Madrid.
- Gran Vía 48. Madrid.
Town planning:
- Smart Park, Rompetrol headquarters. Bucharest, Romania.
- Bahrain Bay Master Plan. Bahrain.
- Punta Colorada Golf & Marina Master Plan. Cuba.
- Five museums and sports centre. Meishan, China.
- Urban Shopping. Madrid.
- Bio City. Istanbul.
- Lake City Master Plan. Vilamoura, Portugal.
Leisure and sports facilities:
- Grand Arenas. Nice, France.
- BMW Dealership Madrid. Madrid.
- Hotel, housing and shopping centre. Chenzhou, China.
- Atrium Hotel and office complex. Madrid.
- Real Madrid Stadium. Madrid.
- Hotel and shopping area in Îlot Valmy. Paris, France.
- Kinshasa football stadium. Republic of Congo.
Interior design:
- Nhow Frankfurt. Frankfurt, Germany.
- Telefónica District C. Madrid.
- Radisson Collection Hotel. Brussels, Belgium.
- AMA Seguros corporate headquarters.
- Vestas Mediterranean showroom. Madrid.
- Extension of the General Courts. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- Repsol Campus. Madrid.
Awards and recognitions
The work of Rafael de La-Hoz, an architect committed to innovation, habitability, sustainability and excellence, has been the subject of various awards and recognitions. These include the following:
- Mention in the Madrid City Council's Urban Planning, Architecture and Public Works Awards for the Encina Real housing development and the Bilma Business Centre (2002).
- COAM Prize, for the Encina Real housing development, awarded by the Official College of Architects of Madrid (2003).
- Mention in the Urban Planning, Architecture and Public Works Awards of Madrid City Council, in the category of Bioclimatic Architecture, for the Endesa headquarters (2003).
- Prize at the American Architecture Awards of the Chicago Atheneum. United States (2004).
- Grupo Vía Award for Outstanding Architect (2004).
- Mention in the Madrid City Council's Urban Planning, Architecture and Public Works Awards for the Retiro Municipal Council building (2004).
- Award for Architectural Concept and Urban Planning Project for Telefónica's District C, awarded by La Gaceta de los Negocios (2004).
- Bex Award, in the category of Technological Innovation, awarded in Greece for the building of the Junta Municipal de Retiro de Madrid (2005).
- Innovation Award at the Quality, Architecture and Housing Awards of the Community of Madrid (2006).
- International Work Award of the XI Biennial of Argentinean Architecture (2007).
- Averroes de Oro City of Cordoba Award for Fine Arts (2010).
- COAM Distinction for the Work of Architects awarded by the Official College of Architects of Madrid (2010).
Rafael de La-Hoz's projects at Kronos Homes
When Kronos Homes started its activity, Saïd Hejal, CEO of Kronos Real Estate Group and passionate about architecture, was clear that he wanted to work with the great architects of the Iberian Peninsula. De La-Hoz was no exception. "He is one of the best, an artist. I could see that when I visited his studio and saw how he paints and draws," says Hejal in the film The meaning of architecture produced by Kronos.
For this reason, this universal Cordovan has participated in the design of three Kronos Homes developments:
- Tribeka (Córdoba).
- The Edge (Estepona, Málaga).
- La Finca (Sotogrande. San Roque, Cádiz).
"Tribeka contributes to Cordoba's growth towards a marvellous place, which is the sierra. The Edge is situated between the most powerful of natural landscapes, which is the sea, and the most delicate of artificial landscapes, which is the garden. As for La Finca, it is in a unique location, in Sotogrande, one of the most exclusive urbanisations in the world, "on a hill and with a magnificent natural environment", he highlights in the video Architects who inspire.
As for what the developer's added value is, he believes that "architecture is what distinguishes Kronos Homes", which he points out "does not fall into repetition or prototypes. And that helps its projects to be compatible with the environment and the users". And in the particular case of The Edge residential development, Rafael de La-Hoz is grateful that it has contributed to restoring the Costa del Sol to its original modernity.
Finally, he points out that "architecture is a way of looking at, understanding, seeing and interpreting the world". As for the role of the architect, De La-Hoz is very clear, he wants "his ideas to transcend. And his greatest responsibility is to make those who live in his work happy", he concludes.
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