The Docomomo Ibérico Register has always been very attentive to the transformations in modern architecture brought about by pedagogical advances and the increase in the student population, a phenomenon that developed in all educational spheres, from primary to higher education.
The rationalist criteria of Modern Movement architecture, in relation to hygiene, the modular repetition of the classroom as a basic unit, the incorporation of sports as a complement, and formal and constructive economy, provided the perfect response to the new functional demands of teaching. This was most clearly significant and identifiable in university education, given that its architecture required a greater surface area and volume.
In response to this need, university cities emerged, located near and connected to urban centers. Their construction constituted a veritable laboratory for architectural and landscape experimentation, with first-rate examples created by renowned masters of modern architecture.
Among these complexes, the University City of Madrid holds a unique place, as it was the first campus in Europe to follow the North American model and the first to implement the principles championed by the Institución Libre de Enseñanza (Free Institution of Teaching) since 1876, with the aim of reforming education and, consequently, culture and society, by rejecting all forms of political, religious, or moral dogma.
For all these reasons, the celebration of this XIV Docomomo Ibérico Congress in 2027, dedicated to the theme of modern architecture in the service of university pedagogy, is considered highly timely. It will be a reflection on its significance and, more generally, on the modern conception of university space throughout the Iberian Peninsula during the period 1925-1975. Its location in Madrid also serves as a way to commemorate the centenary of its University City, declared a Site of Cultural Interest in 1999, in the category of Historic Complex, and included in the Docomomo Ibérico Register of Facilities since 2010.
For information on the call for papers here: https://docomomoiberico2027.com/comunicaciones/#envios
For information about registration https://docomomoiberico2027.com/#inscripcion
For more information about the XIV Congreso Docomomo Ibérico: https://docomomoiberico2027.com