Furniture in Revista Nacional de Arquitectura and Arquitectura in the 1950s and 1960s: Carlos de Miguel’s Modern Vision

Abstract

This article argues that the journal Arquitectura (formerly the Revista Nacional de Arquitectura), founded in 1918 and marked during its early decades by a historicist and conservative orientation, underwent a decisive transformation beginning in 1948, when the architect Carlos de Miguel assumed its directorship. During the twenty‑five years of his tenure as editor, the journal increasingly focused on industrial design, and particularly on modern furniture design in the 1950s and 1960s, a particularly significant shift for a publication produced by and for architects.

A qualitative and quantitative analysis of De Miguel’s work, the editorial evolution of the journal, and the political, economic, and cultural context shows that the broader environment facilitated this opening. Nevertheless, the principal driving force behind the change was De Miguel himself, whose advocacy and promotion of both architecture and design, together with his disseminating efforts through exhibitions, publications, conferences, and critical sessions, fostered a sustained pursuit of modernity.