© Julio Mesa
Conversation led by Cristina Gastón brings life to the presentation of the Luis Ferreira Alves Prize in Barcelona
The Nollegiu del Poblenou Bookstore in Barcelona hosted the presentation of the publication Luis Ferreira Alves Prize | 2025 Edition on November 20th, in a meeting marked by a conversation led by Cristina Gastón, architect and professor at the Higher Technical School of Architecture of Barcelona (ETSAB). In dialogue with Pedro Leão Neto, architect, editor and coordinator of the prize, Gastón gave the session a unique dynamism, making the presentation not only informative, but a true space for critical reflection on photography and architecture.
The audience—composed mostly of photographers, architects, researchers, and speakers—included figures such as Félix Solaguren Beascoa, director of ETSAB, speakers Judit Taberna (moderator of Panel 3 — Other Realities) and María Fernanda Jaua, author of the article "Public Housing Caracas," as well as photographer Julio Mesa. The atmosphere was welcoming, with an attentive and interested community clearly identifying with the spirit of the award.
At the end, the audience actively participated, interacting directly with Cristina Gastón and Pedro Leão Neto. The exchange of ideas was brief but intense, focusing on the importance of the award as a gesture of resistance to the visual superficiality that characterizes contemporary times. There was also space to evoke the unique perspective of Luis Ferreira Alves, always attentive to the rigor, poetry, and humanity present in the dialogue between architecture and photography.
The session in Barcelona preceded the official presentation of the publication *Luis Ferreira Alves Award | 2025 Edition* at the 10th Sophia Journal International Conference, which took place on November 21st and 22nd at ETSAB.
The publication is a bilingual work (Portuguese–English) with international distribution, the result of a partnership between scopio Editions and the Spanish publisher Turner. With a curatorial approach, the book brings together the photographic series distinguished in the first edition of the award, accompanied by critical essays and reflections on architecture and contemporary image. This editorial collaboration reinforces the ambition to project the award to new audiences and geographies, expanding the dialogue between visual and architectural cultures
