Benedetta Tagliabue facts for kids

Benedetta Tagliabue (born on June 23, 1963) is a famous Italian architect. She lives and works in Barcelona, Spain. She is the main leader of EMBT Architects, a global design studio. She started this company with her partner, the Spanish architect Enric Miralles. Some of their most well-known buildings include the Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh and the Gas Natural Building in Barcelona. Benedetta also leads the Enric Miralles Foundation, which is a center for architectural research.

Early Life and Learning

Benedetta Tagliabue was born in Milan, Lombardy, Italy. Her family came from a town called Monza. As she grew up, she spent her time living in both Italy and Spain.

In 1981, Benedetta began studying architecture at the Università Iuav di Venezia in Italy. While she was still a student, she started working with architecture firms in New York City in 1988. She finished her studies and graduated in 1989.

Building a Career in Architecture

In 1991, Benedetta won a top prize for her final project at the "Biennal Joves de Barcelona". The next year, in 1992, she met and began working with architect Enric Miralles. This was just before the 1992 Summer Olympics were held in Barcelona.

Starting EMBT Architects

In 1994, Benedetta Tagliabue and Enric Miralles created their own architecture firm in Barcelona. It was first called Miralles Tagliabue EMBT, and later became Benedetta Tagliabue - EMBT. In 1995, their firm won a big award, the National Architecture Award of Spain, for a boarding school they designed in Morella.

After Enric Miralles passed away in 2000, Benedetta continued their important projects. She finished the Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh and the tall Gas Natural Building in Barcelona. She also completed the redesign of Barcelona's Santa Caterina market.

View of the Scottish Parliament Building from John Reid Close

Benedetta also designed the Spanish Pavilion for the Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China. In 2022, her own home in Barcelona was shown on the Apple TV show Home. She talked about how she and her late husband built and updated their historic villa.

Teaching and Sharing Knowledge

Benedetta Tagliabue is also a teacher. In 2004, she received an honorary degree from Napier University in Scotland. She is also a member of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland. She teaches at the University of Architecture ETSAB in Barcelona. She also gives many talks at architecture events around the world.

Judging Top Architecture Awards

Benedetta is often asked to be a judge for important architecture and design awards. She has been a judge for the Pritzker Architecture Prize, which is one of the highest honors in architecture. She has also judged the Loewe Craft Prize and the RIBA Stirling Prize.

Amazing Buildings She Designed

Here are some of the notable projects Benedetta Tagliabue has worked on:

• The Scottish Parliament Building, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (completed 2004)
• House at La Clota, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain (1999)
• Six houses, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2000)
• Utrecht City Hall extension, Netherlands (completed 2000)
• Extension of the Music School, Hamburg, Germany (completed 2000)
• Set design for the opera "Don Quijote", Liceu Theatre, Barcelona, Spain (2000)
• Hafen City public spaces in Hamburg, Germany (2002)
• Parc de Diagonal Mar, Barcelona, Spain (completed 2002)
• Vigo University Campus, Vigo, Spain (2003)
• Santa Caterina Market, Barcelona, Spain (completed 2005)
• Principal Building University Campus at Vigo (2006)
• Gas Natural Building (completed 2006)
• Palafolls Public Library, Palafolls, Spain (2007)
• Acoustic panels for Gran Via traffic way renovation in Barcelona (2007)
• Social housing in Figueres, Catalonia, Spain (2007)
• Scenery for Merce Cunningham Dance Company (2009)
• Spanish Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo 2010 (won the RIBA Best International Building 2011 Award)
• Plaza Ricard Viñes, Lleida, Spain (2010)
• Fudan University Business School in Shanghai, China
• Clichy-Montfermeil metro station in Paris, France (2014)
• Office towers in Taichung, Taiwan (2019)
• The Church and Parish Complex San Giacomo Apóstolo in Ferrara (2022), which won the Dedalo Minosse International Prize
• Centro Direzionale station in Naples, Italy (opened 2025)

Awards and Recognitions

Benedetta Tagliabue has received many awards for her architectural work:

• 2001 Rietveld Prize for the Utrecht town Council, The Netherlands
• 2001 Premi Nacional de Catalunya for Santa Caterina Market in Barcelona
• 2002 BDA Hamburg Architektur Preis for the Music School of Hamburg
• 2002 National Architectural Prize of Catalonia
• 2004 Honorary doctorate from Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland
• 2004 Premio FAD de Arquitectura for the University Campus in Vigo
• 2005 RIBA Stirling Prize for the Scottish Parliament Building
• 2005 Honour Award of the American Society of Landscape Architects for the Diagonal Mar Park in Barcelona
• 2005 Premio de la Bienal de Arquitectura Española for the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh
• 2006 Prize Leone d'Oro at the Biennale di Venezia for the Pavilion dedicated to the Sports Hall of Huesca, Aragon, (Spain)
• 2006 Spanish National Architectural Prize
• 2009 Prize Ciutat de Barcelona
• 2010 Category International projection for The Spanish Pavilion Exhibition Shanghai
• 2011 RIBA Best International Building Award
• 2013 RIBA Charles Jencks Award
• 2019 Sant Jordi Cross from the Generalitat de Catalunya
• 2020 The Leadership Award at Piranesi Prix de Rome
• 2021 The Leadership Award at the Smart City Expo World Congress
• 2022 Member of Pontificia Accademia dei Virtuosi al Pantheon Rome
• 2022 Dedalo Minosse International Prize
• 2022 Prix Le Soufaché l’Académie d’Architecture Paris
• 2023 Global Award for Sustainable Architecture

Images for kids

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  Scottish Parliament Building

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  Naples Metro Centro Direzionale station

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  Torre Mare Nostrum, new headquarters of Gas Natural, Barcelona

See also

In Spanish: Benedetta Tagliabue para niños