On 27 January, Chilean architect Cazú Zegers will open this year’s Foros lecture series with an online talk titled “La obra como ser vivo” (‘Architecture as a living being’). 

Since 1990, Cazú Zegers has been cultivating a vast portfolio of original and creative work that she defines as “prototypes in the landscape”, in reference to the search for a language of pure Latin American forms. “Land is to America what monuments are to Europe”, she said.  

Some of her most notable projects include the Ruralisation of Kawelluco (1995), Casa Cala (Great Latin American Architecture Award, 1993), or the award-winning Tierra Patagonia Hotel (voted Best Hotel of the Year by Wallpaper Magazine, 2016), representing “a dialogue between the landscape, nature and the inhabitant”. She firmly defends the transformative power of architecture, as demonstrated in her projects such as Chapel of Holy Spirit in Puente Alto or Esmeralda House, which she built for her mother.  “Architectural projects are living beings. Architects design what they see in their mind’s eye and detail exactly how this design will come to life. Buildings are living beings that react to the passing of time and to their interaction with the landscape, the climate and above all, with human beings”, she stated.  

Zegers has taught at several schools and universities such as the Yale School of Architecture, the University of Talca and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. In 2019, she was named as one of the top 18 architects in the world today by Elle Decor NY, and in 2020, Forbes included her in its list of “Latin American female architects breaking down barriers”. 

Under the title “Expectations”, Foros 2021 will open the floor to discussions on the reconstruction projects that have emerged as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, across all areas of society, with a particular focus on architecture and urban planning.

Language: Spanish with simultaneous translation into English

Link for free access: https://zoom.us/j/92569848625