Nordic Nature. An early interest in ceramics and sculpture continues to palpitate in the importance that Dorte Mandrup gives to form in each and every one of her projects, all of which are capable of complying with a delicate context, a demanding program, or a strong building tradition without sacrificing personal expression. Arquitectura Viva presents this impulse through four works located in Scandinavian countries that reflect the Danish architect’s keen sensitivity in choosing materials and dissolving them in the landscape: the Råå Preschool in Helsingborg (Sweden), the Wadden Sea Center in Riba (Denmark), the Icefjord Visitor Center in Ilulisaat (Greeland), and the acclaimed project for The Whale Cultural Center in Andenes (Norway).

The magazine’s dossier presents the designs for six hospitals that Renzo Piano Building Workshop has drawn up for different European cities with a firm commitment to humanizing the recovery process of patients and embracing them with natural environments. The chapter begins with an article where Luis Fernández-Galiano unravels the Genoese architect’s concerns and the background of this editorial feature.

In Art/Culture, Ángela Molina reports on the protagonism of women at the 59th Art Biennale and Antonio Lucas pays tribute to the Portuguese painter Paula Rego, who passed away during the Venice event and her major retrospective show in Málaga. Finally, the usual News and Books sections are complemented by an essay where Norman Foster defends the use of nuclear energy in the face of the current gas crisis, and a piece by José María Ezquiaga that analyzes the heated debate on the superblock project of Barcelona’s Eixample.

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