Benedetta Tagliabue: The Overlooked Italian Architect

Benedetta Tagliabue, an Italian architect based in Barcelona, is often overlooked in discussions of top Italian architects despite her significant international achievements. Luigi Prestinenza Puglisi argues that three reasons explain this amnesia: general lack of recognition for female architects, her decision to remain abroad after her partner Enric Miralles's death, and her association with Miralles. Tagliabue succeeded Miralles after his death in 2000, completing major projects like the Scottish Parliament and the Gas Natural headquarters in Barcelona. She also designed the Spanish Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai Expo, a steel structure covered in hand-woven wicker baskets. Her empirical design method, focused on client needs and public space, contrasts with the theoretical approaches of architects like Peter Eisenman, Kazuyo Sejima, and Rem Koolhaas. Puglisi predicts that in ten years, Tagliabue will be recognized as the best female Italian architect.