Alfredo Munoz Herrero, “The Global Architect”
Martes, enero 17th, 2012Article published at the Diario de Burgos as and example of a Burgos native who is succeeding in the world.
On Saturday, January 7, 2012, the journal Diario de Burgos published an article about architect Alfredo Munoz Herrero, as an example of a Burgos native who succeeded in the world thanks to the architectural projects of his firm ABIBOO Architecture.
El Diario de Burgos begins his article by mentioning Alfredo’s childhood and his early interests. The article goes on to praise Alfredo Munoz’s achievements along his already extensive experience despite his youth:
“…his work is one of the most relevant in the world among all the talents of his class. Munoz (Burgos, 1979) is the president of the architectural firm ABIBOO Architecture (…) Munoz Herrero left his mark at the Polytechnic University of Madrid when he graduated in architecture in only five years, something that no one had done in decades. Even the best used to do it in six, seven or eight years. ”
The article also mentions his development and professional growth, starting with his early work, and his total dedication to the Japanese architecture firm Toyo Ito, his work in the American company SOM (Skidmore, Owings and Merrill) until the creation of his own architectural studio, ABIBOO Architecture, with dozens of projects of global impact and offices in Madrid, New York and India.
“Immediate after his debut [as a student of Architecture] he started working in the studio of the architect from Burgos Agustín Herrero (… /..). After that, he searched somewhere else and, before graduation, he already had experience in the studios of Alberto Campo Baeza or Ábalos and Herreros, three of the top firms in the area of architecture. He also took the opportunity to travel around the U.S., Latin America and Europe. “I knew that great architects (citing “scholarship’s holders” like Le Corbusier) were not so great until they learned through their travels” he affirms. They, the classic contemporary, traveled to what was left of the classical empires (Italy, Greece …); he took his next step towards the new ones. Toward the new one: Japan.”
After working very hard in Japan, he was sent to Barcelona to manage a major project: the expansion of the Barcelona Fair. A 300,000 square meters project to take care of. Munoz was 23 years old.
“I was very comfortable with Toyo Ito, but I wanted to taste the American experience of organization and macro studies.” It was time to change, and again his bet was double or nothing. The next stop was SOM (Skidmore, Owings and Merrill), an American studio that has created a couple of little things out there. Nothing serious: the Sears Tower in Chicago, the new World Trade Center in Manhattan, the Burj Khalifa (is the tallest tower in the world located in Dubai) … you name it.
He was commissioned to make the sixth tallest tower in the world, the Al Hambra Tower in Kuwait, a reality. He also led projects in the U.S. (such as the National Museum of the Army) and India, where, after two years, he was appointed as a SOM associate for their projects in the Asian country.”
His architectural firm ABIBOO Architecture has in his credit projects like Ivan Helguera’s house, the house of Microsoft in Spain´s former president, as well as 700 lower-middle class homes in Chennai (India) and a set of homes for the Oslo official house protection plan.
He also continues to work on projects for Norway, Sweden, Peru and Vietnam, thanks to his three offices located in Madrid, New York and Chennai and to a multidisciplinary global team.
He was just awarded the expansion of a university in the Persian Gulf and he is pushing for 30 towers in Calcutta. He sums it up by pulling the stereotype: `I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time.”
More information on:
España- Madrid
C/ Bretón de los Herreros 61, 1-D, Madrid, 28003
Phone#: +34.91.130.2506
EEUU- New York
328 3rd Street, Jersey City, NJ, 07302
Phone#: +1.201.855.9157
India- Chennai
9 Mahatma Gandhi Road, Nugambakkam, Chennai, 600034
Phone#: +91.9962064626
www.abiboo.com
marketing@abiboo.com
Author: Pilar Esteban, responsible of communication for Markarte (www.markarte.net)
About ABIBOO Architecture
ABIBOO Architecture is an international Architecture and Design studio with headquarters in Madrid, New York and Madras, with a philosophy of promoting innovation and refinement. Their designs stand out for their search of excellence and exclusivity, giving response to the complex needs of the twenty first century society.
