Social Housing Project In Madrid

Two very different architects have produced very different low-income housing projects on the edges of Madrid. One, by the Dutch firm MVRDV, literally stands the whole idea of housing as it is practiced there on its head to dramatic effect. The second, by London-based David Chipperfield Architects, refines and abstracts the familiar forms of courtyard blocks into something monumental and crafted to surprise with subtle effects. Architecture today in many ways comes down to a choice between these two designs or a belief that both are valid approaches that hold each other in tension.