Penelas Architects

PENELAS ARCHITECTS is an International Architecture, Urban Design, and Master Planning office, established in 1990, with a long trajectory and range of experience in different sectors.

José Luis Esteban Penelas graduated as an Architect and Urban Designer at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, where he was Professor from 1989-2002. He holds a PhD in Architecture and he is currently Chair of Architecture at the European University of Madrid (UEM). He is also the Founder and Director of the UEM Research Group: AIR LAB Cities (Advanced Architecture International Research Laboratory of Cities).
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In 1990 he established his own office of Architecture and Urbanism in Madrid – PENELAS ARCHITECTS, currently developing projects of architecture, urbanism, landscape, engineering and sustainability in Spain, Latin America, Europe, Korea and China. His works have been internationally published and exhibited (Madrid, Milan, Quito, Santiago de Chile, Puerto Rico, Bogotá, Istanbul, Brazil, Buenos Aires, Shanghai, Roma, Berlin, Montevideo, Barcelona, USA, …), receiving more than fifty national and international awards, among others: – Biennial of Spanish Architecture – Awards of Architecture and Urbanism , Madrid Municipality (3 calls) – Award of Urbanism Official Chamber of Architects of Madrid – International Triennial of Milan of Public Space (2 calls) – Awards Architecture Madrid Region – European Landscape Biennial (two calls)- 1st Prize International Competition for Caribbean Pavilion (Expo Zaragoza 2006) – 1st Prize ex-aequo International Competition for Xi’An extension (China), 2006 – 1st Prize Competition for Cemetery Park (Quito, 2015) – 1st Prize International Competition for 7 Bridges and Urban Design in Shanghai (2016) -1st Prize Competition for Master Plan Mastodontes, Quito 4.000 dwellings, (2021).
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His most renowned works are: Juan Carlos I Park (220 Hectares – Madrid), Plaza for the Reina Sofia’s Modern Art Museum (Madrid), Flora Museum and Greenhouse (Madrid), Urban design of Lavapies Centre District (Madrid), Elderly People’s Residence (Madrid), New Pradolongo Park (Madrid), Analysis Laboratories (Seville), Master Plan for the new city of Saemangeum in (35 km long and for 5 million people) (South Korea), 7 Bridges (Shanghai), 5 residential Towers (Guayaquil, Ecuador), Master Plan (Quito, Mastodontes, 2021).
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He is author of many books, writings and articles; including his latest books “Architectures XXI Century” (2007), “Building the Future City” (2009), with the latest theories and thoughts for the development and planning of new Metacities of the XXI Century, and “Super-places: Inter-media spaces” (2007) in which he proposes a new critical theory to project space in architecture and contemporary cities.
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He was curator of the Pavilion of Spain at the Architecture Biennale of Rotterdam (2005), curator at the Architecture Biennale of Shenzhen/Hong Kong (2013); guest at the Architecture Biennale of Venice (Swiss Pavilion 2014 and selected European Cultural Center 2018) and at the Architecture Biennale of Shanghai (2015) and curator of the Madrid Pavilion I Biennale Seoul (2017).

www.penelas.com