Francine Houben directs the architecture office Mecanoo since 1984. With noteworthy projects like the library of TU Delft (completed in 1997), after a competition held in 2005 the studio was commissioned to build the La Llotja de Lleida Congress Center (see AV Proyectos 008). Reminiscent of the aforementioned university’s auditorium, built in 1966 by Van de Broek and Bakema (not in vain the TU is located just 2 km away from Mecanoo’s office), the Dutch proposes an urban monolith, a rocky and compact armadillo placed on the shore of the River Segre. After the commission of the construction works Houben contacted the Barcelonabased office Labb Arquitectura, run by Cristina Fernández and Markus Lauber, who have developed since then, and in partnership with Mecanoo, the executive project of this ‘loggia’ in Lérida. The eagerly awaited completion of the works in 2010 will entail the arrival of a new cultural icon to the city of Lérida, as well as a good piece of evidence to show that Dutch architecture, beyond the 90s boom, is still in good shape... [+]