About
DONIS is an international studio of architecture, urbanism, research, industrial design, and art. The studio has won several international prizes, including the Dubai Frame, selected as the first-prize winner from 926 proposals in an international competition regulated by UNESCO-UIA; the first prize for the National Palace of Justice in Paris; and the winning design for a new landmark for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games at the City of London. DONIS designs, develops, and builds projects across a wide range of scales and programs, consistently pursuing innovative, sustainable, and socially engaged architecture. DONIS was founded by Fernando Donis, Mexican Dutch architect who received his Master’s degree from the Architectural Association in London through the Design Research Laboratory (DRL), where he studied under Patrik Schumacher and Brett Steele. He also received a PhD in Architecture from Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), through the doctoral research program The City as a Project, led by with Pier Vittorio Aureli. His doctoral research, FRAME, is a five-chapter study of the archetype of the frame and its role in the architectural and urban history and culture of Mexico. Following his studies at the Architectural Association, Fernando Donis worked closely with Rem Koolhaas as an Associate at the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) for nine years, from 2001 to 2009. During this period, he was the main designer of the CCTV Headquarters in Beijing, among numerous other architectural projects and masterplans. He also collaborated with AMO, OMA’s research and design branch, contributing to research projects concerning the European Union. Fernando Donis has taught at the Berlage Institute and the Academy of Architecture in Rotterdam, as well as at Universidad Iberoamericana and Universidad Anáhuac in Mexico, integrating architectural research, design, and urbanism across multiple scales. His work and career have received international recognition. In 2011, CNN Expansión selected him as one of the 30 most promising and influential people in Mexico. In 2015, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs selected him as one of the country’s most creative Mexicans living abroad.
Paris Reflection
París, Francia · Primer Lugar – Concurso Internacional para el Nuevo Palacio de Justicia de París
Ubicación – París, Francia
Año – 2009
Programa – Nuevo Palacio de Justicia de París
M² – 214,000 m² de Plan Maestro – 100,000 m² de Palacio de Justicia
El Nuevo Palacio de Justicia de París se concibe como una gran losa flotante cuya cara inferior, completamente reflejante, proyecta la vida pública que ocurre bajo ella. Debajo, un nuevo parque cívico se convierte en el corazón del proyecto, enmarcado por viviendas que contemplan este paisaje compartido, mientras la aparentemente levitante losa de la justicia se eleva sobre él, simbolizando el equilibrio, la transparencia y la impartición de justicia.
El proyecto es una reflexión tanto literal como simbólica: un reflejo del espacio público, de la aspiración de la sociedad por la equidad y de la capacidad de la arquitectura para construir ciudad mediante generosos espacios cívicos dedicados al encuentro, el debate y la vida comunitaria.
Ubicada frente a la Biblioteca Nacional de Francia, y evaluada por Dominique Perrault y Rudy Ricciotti, la propuesta establece un diálogo contemporáneo con su entorno, extendiendo el Marco del Conocimiento de la biblioteca vecina hacia un innovador Marco de la Justicia.
