Beyond Architectural Representation: A Contemporary Gaze Around Jujol’s Work

The architecture of the past century has been predominantly characterized by a rigorous functionalism that has largely standardized the tangible physiognomy of its structures. However, in recent decades, overlaid on functional rationality, issues of architectural perception have emerged from imagined universes, appreciated as a quality attribute in architectural ideation. The objective of this article is to compare and contrast some concerns in current architectural ideation with the artistic approach of Josep Maria Jujol, aiming to assess to what extent there are aspects that connect attitudes in a common contemporary culture. This culture utilizes narrative as a creative argument through evocations, and certain visual representations transform a generic mode of storytelling into a highly personal one, capable of contributing renewed originalities to architectural form. The research focuses on the built materiality of an early 20th-century project, re-examined through the ideational concerns of relevant contemporary projects. The article provides a methodological perspective on the application of graphic and visual representation resources that impact a materiality evocative of narrative arguments in architecture.