Architect by profession, designer by adaptation, painter by vocation and writer out of the need to make friends, Oscar Tusquets Blanca is the prototype of the all-round artist that the specialisation of the modern world has brought to the verge of extinction.
Born in Barcelona in 1941, he graduated as an architect in 1965 from the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura in Barcelona.
Founding member of the disappeared Studio Per, he worked with Lluís Clotet until 1984 on the great majority of his projects, which include the Casa Fullà, the Casa Regás and its belvedere, a house in Pantelleria and the restaurant La Balsa.
After working for several years with the architect Carlos Díaz, in 1987 they formed a partnership to develop their projects in the fields of urban planning, architecture, interior design and architectural design, both in Spain and France, and also in Holland, Germany and Japan. Recently, this studio changed its name to Arquitecturas Oscar Tusquets Blanca.
Among his most notable works, mention should be made of the refurbishment and extensions made to the Palau de la Música, Barcelona; the Pavilion Tusquets in the Parc de la Villette, Paris; a residential development in Fukuoka (Japan); Cavas Chandon (industrial complex for the production of sparkling wine) in Sant Cugat Sesgarrigues (Barcelona); the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus in Las Palmas, and the Polideportivo Daoiz y Velarde (sports centre) in Madrid.
At present he is working on a new extension for the Palau de la Música and two hotels in Barcelona; the remodelling of several exhibition halls at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, in the Louvre, Paris; and a new neighbourhood in Vilanova (Barcelona). He is a founding member of Bd Ediciones de Diseño and launched his career as a furniture and object designer with this group. Some of his pieces form part of the collections of important museums such as the Moma in New York or the George Pompidou centre in Paris.
Among other awards he has received the Premio Nacional de Diseño, the Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes, the insignia of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and the Creu de Sant Jordi.
In addition he has twice won the Premio Ciutat de Barcelona, and several FAD de Arquitectura and Delta de Diseño.
In 1994 he appeared on the writing scene with Más que discutible (Tusquets Editores); in 1998 he published Todo es comparable and in 2000 Dios lo ve (both titles issued by Editorial Anagrama).
He has recently published Dalí y otros amigos and Anna (RqueR Editorial). His complete professional and artistic career is described in the Enciclopedia/Album Oscar Tusquets Blanca, whose author is Juli Capella, published in 2003 by Electa (Random House Mondadori).
Oscar Tusquets Blanca website
