Fran Silvestre Arquitectos

The Spanish architect Fran Silvestre studied at the Polytechnic University of Valencia and continued with postgraduate studies in urban planning at the Technical University of Eindhoven in the Netherlands, while at the same time working at MVRDV. He later collaborated with Álvaro Siza until 2005, when he founded his own practice, Fran Silvestre Arquitectos, in Valencia. In 2016 he completed his PhD at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, where he also teaches at the School of Architecture, directing postgraduate programs. His architecture stands out for its modern idiom, with large white surfaces, an exceptional handling of space, light, and materials, clean geometries, and a pushing of structural limits to the edge of contemporary possibilities. We spoke with Fran Silvestre on the occasion of his participation as a guest of honor of the Embassy of Spain in Athens and ICEX–Interiors from Spain at the event “Shaping Spaces: A Spanish Perspective on Contemporary Architecture & Design”, held on June 4 at “Aigli” in Zappeion. The event was curated by ek magazine.

S.M.: How do you perceive the relationship between contemporary architecture and classical tradition?

Fran Silvestre: We are very interested in this correlation. In a way, the classical tradition has taught us that architectural proportions are a matter of order and harmony. Contemporary architecture is not a rupture but rather another kind of continuity. The idea of a tradition infused with innovation lies at the core of our thinking, since it is nothing other than designing on top of what has already been tested and proven to work, but from a new perspective, open to technology, materials, and today’s way of life.

The architecture we find interesting draws its sources from tradition but creates a new synthesis, a transformation, while adapting to a different era and different needs. In our design, we are concerned with clarity, both in structure and in proportions.

S.M.: The choice of materials and the perception of light play a central role in your work. How do you shape the spatial experience guided by them?

F.S.: We like to work with natural materials for their honesty, their ability to age beautifully, and their strong connection to place. For us, each project is not perceived as something uniform but as a heterogeneous whole, where every element retains its character while participating in a coherent composition. Light plays a critical role in our architecture because it has the power to transform static objects. We are fascinated by how the apparent stillness of architecture comes to life over the course of the day, as light moves across surfaces, revealing and concealing them. This constant alternation transforms space into experience.

S.M.: You have often emphasized the importance of model-making in the design process. How can models help develop an architectural idea, and what do you think they offer that digital tools do not?

F.S.: We like to think with our hands. Working with models has become for us a kind of meditation that allows us to perceive each project in ever greater depth. Models impose limits, just like construction does: we want to work with this way of thinking, with this kind of constraint. Digital tools, of course, are immensely powerful and offer us countless possibilities, yet we remain closer to the manual method. Working with our hands gives us access to knowledge that digital media alone cannot provide.

Read the full interview in ek issue 298 | June 2025.