The prestigious British architect will be joined by leading international figures such as Andreas Etzelstorfer (Backraum Architektur), Liza Heilmeyer (Birk Heilmeyer und Frenzel), Mikko Liski (AFKS Architects) and Philippe Madec (Atelier Philippe Madec), among others.
Spanish professionals such as Beñat Saratxaga (Behark Arquitectura) and Maialen Sagarna (OS3 Arquitectura) will also take part, as well as Carol Beuter (Estudio HAZ Arquitectura) and José Toral (Peris+Toral Arquitectes).
The renowned British architect and urban planner Sir David Chipperfield (David Chipperfield Architects), winner of the Pritzker Prize 2023, will be one of the main attractions of the panel of professionals at the Egurtek Congress, International Forum on Architecture and Construction in Wood, to be held on 16 and 17 October at Bilbao Exhibition Centre. This congress, one of the most prominent internationally, promotes wood as an essential resource for sustainable building.
Speakers from Germany, Austria, France, Finland and the United Kingdom will present their views on the possibilities of timber construction. Leading figures such as Andreas Etzelstorfer (Backraum Architektur), Liza Heilmeyer (Birk Heilmeyer und Frenzel Studio), Mikko Liski (AFKS Architects) and Philippe Madec (Atelier Philippe Madec) will share their latest projects, as well as their perspectives on this raw material as a material of the future.
In this country, Beñat Saratxaga (Behark Arkitektura, Bilbao), Carol Beuter (Estudio HAZ Arquitectura, Barcelona), Maialen Sagarna (OS3 Arquitectura, Usurbil) and José Toral (Peris+Toral Arquitectes, Barcelona) will highlight the use of this material to design quality, innovative and environmentally-friendly works.
The architect of austerity and functionality
Chipperfield, with a career spanning more than forty years and a hundred projects behind him, is known for his respect for the history and culture of each region. His work is characterised by its austerity, functionality and commitment to a fairer and more sustainable society. Among his most important projects are the remodelling of the Royal Academy in London, the restoration of the Old Procuracies in Venice, the new National Gallery in Berlin, the Amorepacific offices in Seoul (Korea), the Inagawa cemetery in Hyogo (Japan), the City of Justice law courts complex in Barcelona, the Veles e Vents building in Valencia and the Jumex Museum in Mexico City.
Andreas Etzelstorfer
A member of the Bavarian Chamber of Architects, Etzelstorfer founded Backraum Architectur (Austria) in 2009. Sustainability through the use of wood is the hallmark of his projects. In 2023 he received the Lower Austrian Timber Construction Award and was nominated for the Styrian Timber Construction Award.
Liza Heilmeyer
Together with Stepan Birk and Martin Frenzel, Heilmeyer heads the Birk Heilmeyer und Frenzel studio. She has won several awards in recognition of her work, such as the prestigious Deubau-Preis for young architects, the Weissenhof Architecture Gallery Emerging Architects Award, the North Rhine-Westphalia Award for Young Artists and Europe 40 under 40. She has been an academic researcher and in 2020 she was appointed state president of the BDA Baden-Württemberg (Association of German Architects).
Mikko Liski
Liski is part of the AFKS Architects team, founded in 1998 by Jari Frondelius and Jaakko Keppo after winning the architectural competition for the Korso church and parish centre. Their project Martta Wendelin Day Care Centre won last year’s Finlandia Prize for Architecture awarded by the Association of Finnish Architects in recognition of its high architectural value. This year, the Hopealaakso Day Care Centre is nominated for the EU Mies van der Rohe European Prize for Contemporary Architecture.
Philippe Madec
A pioneer in sustainable development in urban planning and architecture, Madec set up his own studio in Paris in 1989 and opened a second office in Rennes in 2005. A writer, university professor, researcher, architect and urban planner, Madec is an important figure in the profession. He is the recipient of distinguished awards such as the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture 2012, the Medal of Honour of the Academy of Architecture 2022 and has been nominated twice for the EU Mies van der Rohe European Award for Contemporary Architecture.
Beñat Saratxaga
Saratxaga, a member of the Behark Arkitektura studio together with Gentzane Goikuria, advocates a professional practice linked to the needs of society. At Behark they combine their own projects with others for large studios in Barcelona and London. They have won numerous awards in recent years; two prizes at Egurtek 2022, a double award from the COAVN and another distinction from the Research Association for the Wood Industries (AITIM).
Carol Beuter
The HAZ Arquitectura studio, based in Barcelona, will be represented at Egurtek by Carol Beuter. This team’s work is committed to excellence and environmental sustainability. Among the most outstanding are the Trinitat Vella Community Life Centre (Egurtek 2022 Award), the refurbishment of the Escola Pía Balmes church and the 60 public housing units in the Illa “A” complex in Barcelona.
Maialen Sagarna
Together with Juan Pedro Otaduy and Ainara Sagarna, she is a member of the trio of Basque professionals that make up OS3 Arquitectura. Their most outstanding works include Potxonea (Cultural House in Usurbil) and the refurbishment and extension of the Zumarte Music School (Usurbil). The OS3 team is recurrently committed to renewable and ecological materials.
José Toral
José Toral, together with Marta Peris, stands for sustainability as the main value in their projects. The pair propose a feedback of architectural practice with an investigation into collective public housing and urban space, which places the individual at the centre of the action and the architect as a social agent. Among their most notable awards are the Spanish Architecture Award CSCAE 2022, Eduwik Architecture Excellence Award 2022 and the Matilde Baffa Ugo Rivolta European Architecture Award 2021. In 2022 they received the Egurtek Building Award for their project “85 social housing units in Cornellá”.
Egurtek 2024
Egurtek is celebrating its tenth edition this year, consolidating its position as a leading international event for wooden construction and architecture. More than fifty Spanish and international companies will be exhibiting their products and services in the Expo Zone.
The Technical Workshops, organised by the Basque Wood Association, Baskegur, will be held alongside this space. The Egurtek Awards will recognise the best works in different categories, such as building, interior design and product.
The 10th edition of Egurtek is organised by Bilbao Exhibition Centre and is sponsored by the Basque Government’s Department of Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment, in collaboration with Baskegur-Basque Wood Association and the Basque-Navarre Official College of Architects.
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