London-based, former Foreign Office Architects’ (FOA) chief Alejandro Zaera Polo has resigned as dean of Princeton University’s school of architecture
More from: AZPML wins £12m Montreal Biodome overhaul
According to the US school, the director of AZPML stepped down just two years into the role to ‘devote greater attention to his research and other professional activities’.
Zaera Polo, who was appointed dean in 2012 following four years as a visiting lecturer in architecture, will continue teaching at the school of architecture.
Princeton president Christopher L Eisgruber thanked the Madrid-born architect for his service and announced that the school’s former dean, Professor Stanley Allen would takeover the role ‘until a permanent successor was appointed’.
He said: ‘I hope that all members of the school community will assist us in making this transition to new leadership as smooth as possible.’
Zaera Polo, who told the AJ that he was interested in maintaining ‘the connection between practice and theory’ when he set up his own practice in 2011, was unavailable for comment.
Alejandro Zaera Polo Architecture (AZPA) was renamed AZPML after teaming up with former Foreign Office Architects (FOA) architect Maider Llaguno in September 2013 (AJ 09.09.13)
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Alejandro Zaera Polo Architecture (AZPA) London and Barcelona
Founded: June 2011
Main people: Alejandro Zaera Polo, Pep Wennberg, Robert Berenguer, Charles Valla
Where have you come from? Zaera Polo was a founding partner of Foreign Office Architects (FOA), having worked for OMA in Rotterdam and for Rafael Moneo in Madrid.
What work do you have? We will continue working on the Birmingham New Street Station project started two years ago [under the FOA banner] and we have a project in Santander for the 2014 World Sailing Championship, a cultural centre in Gapyong, South Korea, and a hospital and a cultural centre in Catalonia. We will be looking to competitions to acquire work, as we have always done.
We hope to be able to obtain some work through some former clients too, although most of our clients are institutional rather than commercial, so projects are one-off.
What are your ambitions? We hope to rebuild a practice similar to FOA, with a mid-size, international profile and a diverse portfolio of projects with an experimental edge and environmental design. We are interested in the connection between practice and theory and hope to retain this connection within AZPA as well as developing the practice on environmental design and computation.
How optimistic are you? This is a good time to start a new practice, even if the practice has already an important legacy. The recession will allow time to reset targets and do some research to be used when the economy picks up. It will be slow for some time, but it will eventually help to build some solid foundations. The recession will continue for a couple of years in Europe, and this will be the time to build up strengths. And perhaps seek work elsewhere.
Contact:www.azpa.com
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Montreal competition set to launch next month
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Alejandro Zaera Polo steps down as dean of Princeton
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AZPML vying for Budapest stadium overhaul
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Alejandro Zaera Polo steps down as dean of Princeton
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AZPML vying for Budapest stadium overhaul
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AZPA renamed as Maider Llaguno joins FOA offshoot
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