EXHIBITION

LA DONNA COSTRUISCE:

Italia-Libano-Spagna (WOMEN WHO BUILD: Italy-Lebanon-Spain) is an exhibition that displays the architectural work designed by women or teams in which women participation has been significant. Up to now, the exhibition has been exhibited in four Spanish cities: Alcalá de Henares (1999), Madrid (2000), San Sebastián (2001) and Vitoria (2001). This travelling exhibition, designed as a living, fanciful and participative activity, has been created as a colaborative cultural project from an international level within the surrounding mediterranean region. In the near future we will have this project reach out to further coasts like that of different countries in Latin America. The exhibition started with thirty-five architectural projects, but today has expanded to fifty-two thanks to the contribution made by architects in the countries where the exhibitions took place. These pieces of work have enriched the content and demonstartes the unique and diverse contributions women from different walks of life have made to the field of architecture. The opening of the exhibition took place in December 2002, in Beirut inside of the Order of Engineers and Architects. This was made possible, thanks to an agreement made between the Spanish Ministry of Labour and the Cervantes Institut. The exhibition adquired seven new projects by Lebanese architects and an additional five by Spanish architects. The exhibition was opened in Rome on May 10th 2003, with the participation of Amadeo Schiattarella President of the Order of Architecture of Rome, Javier Ruiz Sierra director of the Cervantes Institute of Rome and Ana Estirado & Cristina García-Rosales the two commisionary architects as well as Lebanese architect Simone Kosremelli. Five new projects of young Italian architects that partcipated iwhere also added. These are the following projects:

Carmen Andriani

Conditioning of a pedestrian path, Historical Centre, Rome.

María Cristina Finucci

Apartment Restoration in Ille de la Cité, París.

Paola Rossi:

Automercato Fiori - Renault Concessionaire, Rome

Guendalina Salimei:

Touristic Installation: A camping site in Collalto Sabino Woods (Rieti),

Stefanía Stera:

House and Art Foundation, París.

After the first international stop at the Beirut port, we had hopes that our second stop in the historical city of Rome, held inside the beautiful neoclasic building named Acquario Romano (now la Casa dell´ Architettura dell´ Ordine degli Architetti di Roma), contributed to the creation of an open, cultural and solidary platform of female professionals related to the design and management of inhabited places, women that, with their own "eyes", would actively colaborate in the design of a new city and of a new society.

Institutions that took part in thet Rome Exhibition:

- Production: Spanish Ministry of Labour
- Organization: Cervantes Institute - Ordine degli Architetti di Roma.
- Colaboration: Woman Institute of Spain.