The project '20th century architecture in Spain, Gibraltar and the French regions of Aquitaine, Auvergne, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Midi-Pyrénées and Poitou-Charentes'began thanks to the initiative of four institutions: Iberian DOCOMOMO Foundation, Arc en rêve centre d'architecture, Government of Gibraltar Town Planning Section and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation, which were joined by participating partners, the Arquia Foundation and the Ordem dos Arquitectos Portugal.
The overall purpose of the project was to create an inventory with the architectural heritage of the 20th century in Spain, Gibraltar and the French regions included in the 'Sudoe', a term used by the European Union to designate the geographical area encompassed by the Iberian Peninsula and said regions.
The project was accepted in the second call for proposals in July 2004, Community Initiative INTERREG 3rd B Southwest (SUDOE) of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the European Commission. Thanks to the grant of the fund and joint financing by the Mies van der Rohe Foundation, the DOCOMOMO Foundation and the Arquia Foundation the project was carried out, resulting in a database that could be searched from the internet, the production of a CD-ROM and an exhibition.
The Arquia Foundation makes the information from the 'Arch 20th SUDOE Spain' database available to its users.
DOCOMOMO stands for Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighbourhoods of the Modern Movement and corresponds to the DOCOMOMO International Organisation created in 1990, currently based in Barcelona.
Its main aim is to inventory, disseminate and protect the architectural heritage of the Modern Movement, for which it has set up a geographical strategy that has led to the creation of the Iberian DOCOMOMO Foundation, based in Barcelona, which coordinates achievement of these general goals applied to Spain and Portugal.
The Documentation and Conservation of the Modern Movement (DOCOMOMO) project is being carried out in the Iberian peninsula with the collaboration of various organisations and institutions, especially the Colleges of Architects, Heritage Institutions and entities dedicated to knowledge and dissemination of architecture. Since it was founded, Iberian DOCOMOMO has rolled out numerous initiatives for the documentation and study of modern heritage in the Iberian peninsula that have resulted in publications, seminars and conferences.
The Mies van der Rohe Foundation was created in 1983 by the Barcelona City Council, with the initial goal of rebuilding the German Pavilion designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) for the International Exhibition of Barcelona in 1929.
In addition to addressing the conservation and knowledge about the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion, the Mies van der Rohe Foundation promotes debate, dissemination and awareness-raising on issues of contemporary architecture and urban planning. It also promotes the study of the work of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and the Modern Movement. Given its purpose, the Foundation organises various activities, such as awards, conferences, exhibitions, workshops and installation activities.
Foremost among these programmes is the organisation, jointly with the European Commission, of the European Union's Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe, one of the most prestigious architectural awards in Europe.
The Arquia Foundation was established as a private cultural foundation on 23 May 1990 to promote and foster cultural activities in the field of architecture, construction, design, urban planning and general architectural activities.
It manages the resources it receives from the Architects Fund for Education and Promotion, complemented by the products of its heritage and the return on investment of its activities.
The Foundation is represented, governed and administered by the Board of Trustees, individuals who at all times are members of the Governing Council of the Caja de Arquitectos, and its Managing Director.
