Architect Paolo Portoghesi dies at 92

Italian architect Paolo Portoghesi died on May 30, 2023, at his home in Calcata, Viterbo province. Born in Rome in 1931, he graduated from La Sapienza University in 1957 and taught there and at the Politecnico di Milano, where he served as dean from 1968 to 1976. A key figure in Postmodern architecture, he curated the first International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale in 1980, titled 'The Presence of the Past,' featuring the Strada Novissima. He directed the Biennale's Architecture Section from 1979 to 1982 and later served as President of the Venice Biennale from 1983 to 1992. His notable works include the Mosque and Islamic Cultural Centre in Rome, Casa Baldi (1959-1961), Casa Papanice, the Sacra Famiglia church in Fratte, Santa Maria della Pace in Terni, and the cathedral of Lamezia Terme (completed 2019). He founded and directed the magazine Controspazio. In 2016, he donated his archive to MAXXI. He received the Italian Architecture Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021 from Triennale Milano and MAXXI. He was a Knight Grand Cross of the Italian Republic (2002), member of the Accademia dei Lincei (2000), and president of the Accademia di San Luca. Tributes came from MAXXI president Alessandro Giuli, OAR president Alessandro Panci, architect Stefano Boeri, and Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano.