Carme Pigem: Weaving Light, Landscape, and Life into Architecture

Carme Pigem is one of the most influential contemporary architects in Spain and a founding partner of the internationally acclaimed practice RCR Arquitectes. Through her quiet yet powerful approach to design, Pigem has helped redefine the way architecture can interact with its environment—emphasizing sensitivity to place, material honesty, and poetic spatial experiences. Along with her colleagues Rafael Aranda and Ramón Vilalta, Pigem has championed an architecture that is rooted in context, contemplative in nature, and profoundly human in scale.

---

Early Life and Education

Carme Pigem was born in Olot, Catalonia, Spain, in 1962, in a region surrounded by dormant volcanoes, thick forests, and ancient stone villages. Growing up in this unique natural and cultural landscape, she developed an intrinsic appreciation for nature, materials, and light—core elements that later became the foundation of her architectural philosophy.

Pigem studied architecture at the Escola Tècnica Superior d’Arquitectura del Vallès (ETSAV), part of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), where she graduated in 1987. It was there that she met her future collaborators, Rafael Aranda and Ramón Vilalta. The trio formed a strong creative bond grounded in shared values: a deep respect for the environment, the importance of collaboration, and the pursuit of an architecture that enhances human experience.

---

Career and Formation of RCR Arquitectes

In 1988, just one year after graduating, Carme Pigem co-founded RCR Arquitectes with Aranda and Vilalta in their hometown of Olot. Instead of relocating to larger urban centers, the trio made the radical decision to establish their practice in the quiet, volcanic landscape of La Garrotxa. This commitment to their roots would become both a philosophical and practical cornerstone of their work.

Pigem and her partners began by designing small-scale projects in and around Olot. Over time, their work grew in scale and recognition, earning a reputation for combining modernist rigor with deep local sensitivity. RCR Arquitectes was known for its collaborative ethos, designing projects through a shared vision that blurred individual authorship. Their architecture is noted for its minimalist material palette—often using weathering steel, volcanic rock, wood, and glass—and for its precise detailing and spatial clarity.

Their projects often seem to emerge from the earth itself, merging natural and built forms. Each building is carefully attuned to its site’s topography, vegetation, light, and culture, creating spaces that are as meditative as they are functional.

In 2017, Carme Pigem, along with Aranda and Vilalta, received the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the most prestigious award in the field. The jury praised their ability to create buildings that are “both local and universal, engaged with the environment while remaining innovative and fresh.”

---

An Outstanding Work: The Soulages Museum (2014), Rodez, France

Among Pigem’s most celebrated works is the Soulages Museum, completed in 2014 in collaboration with Aranda and Vilalta. Located in Rodez, France, the museum is dedicated to the work of Pierre Soulages, a French painter known for his monochromatic black paintings and the use of light as a compositional element.

Design Philosophy and Context
Situated on a gentle hill overlooking the town, the museum is designed to respond to both the landscape and the abstract nature of Soulages’ work. Rather than opting for a monumental or iconic structure, Pigem and her partners conceived the building as a series of long, low volumes that follow the contours of the site. These volumes are clad in weathering steel, whose dark, earthy patina evokes both the tones of Soulages’ paintings and the geological hues of the region.

The building nestles into the slope, simultaneously blending with and emerging from the terrain. Pigem’s design rejects spectacle in favor of a dialogue with the natural and cultural context of Rodez. The structure does not dominate the landscape—it inhabits it quietly, with a powerful presence rooted in subtlety.

Light, Shadow, and Materiality
The museum’s interiors are a masterclass in the choreography of light and material. Natural light is carefully filtered through skylights and slits, creating a dynamic interplay of illumination and shadow—an homage to Soulages’ fascination with black as a color that reflects rather than absorbs light.

The gallery spaces are arranged to offer a slow, contemplative journey, allowing visitors to engage deeply with the artwork. The materials inside—concrete, wood, and steel—are left raw and honest, creating a tactile and immersive environment. Transparency and opacity are carefully balanced, offering glimpses of the surrounding park while also enveloping the visitor in introspective spaces.

Cultural and Artistic Dialogue
The Soulages Museum is more than an exhibition space—it is a built tribute to the spirit of art itself, and to the emotional resonance that architecture can evoke. It successfully reflects Soulages’ philosophy while standing as an independent work of art. Through Pigem’s thoughtful leadership and design sensibility, the building becomes a quiet yet powerful bridge between nature, art, and human experience.

---

Beyond Architecture: Teaching and Influence

Carme Pigem is not only an accomplished architect but also a dedicated academic and mentor. Since 2005, she has taught architectural composition at ETSAV and has lectured at numerous institutions around the world. Her ability to translate abstract concepts into built form has made her a guiding figure for a new generation of architects seeking authenticity and meaning in their work.

Pigem is known for championing an interdisciplinary and humanistic approach to design, where architecture is seen not just as construction but as a cultural act. She often speaks about architecture as a medium for communicating emotion and fostering relationships between people and their environment.

---

Conclusion

Carme Pigem’s work is a quiet revolution. It is not characterized by flamboyance or self-promotion but by depth, integrity, and a profound respect for place. Through RCR Arquitectes, she has demonstrated that architecture can be both radical and respectful, contemporary and timeless. Her buildings do not shout—they whisper, drawing people into deeper engagement with their surroundings.

The Soulages Museum stands as a testament to Pigem’s architectural vision: a space where art, landscape, material, and light converge into a holistic and poetic experience. In a fast-paced world often driven by trends, Carme Pigem’s architecture offers stillness, beauty, and meaning, reminding us of what architecture can truly be when it is grounded in essence and empathy.