“My favourite works are the ones that are yet to come”

Unlike what most young people would do when choosing what to study at university, Mariana de Delás decided on architecture because this discipline “combined everything I was worst at. I wanted my degree to teach me something I couldn’t learn on my own. When I started I had no idea whatsoever, but every year I learned to like it a little more”.

When she finished her degree, she found that the construction crisis (which plagued Spain from 2008 to 2013) had plunged the country into a delicate economic and social situation. So Mariana decided to leave Spain. “Of all the destinations I considered at the time, I eventually opted for India. I wanted a faraway country where there was an interest in architecture, and where at the same time I knew I would want to come home some day. I sent a letter to Studio Mumbai, which I was very interested in because they often work with their hands. They answered me straight away, and I moved there”.

During her time there Mariana soaked up “a lot of architecture and went on lots of motorbike rides”. She brought a special ring back with her from this Asian country. “It’s supposed to have the five metals; carpenters there wear it to bring good luck”.

But as well as the ring, something Mariana also brought back from India was a firm friendship with her colleague Astrid Rohde Wang. “We wanted to carry on seeing each other when we came back to Europe, and the way to do that was through architecture”. Together they have taken part in several installations and projects around the world, from France to Bangkok and including Mallorca.

Visiting so many countries and regions has taught Mariana de Delás to cope in any environment, and be capable of creating practically anything with just a few gadgets. “In my house in Madrid I made everything: the sofa, the tables, the shelves... Touching things gives you the chance to experiment boldly and learn with different shapes and materials, and even to appreciate mistakes”. This young architect loves her work so much that she also devotes her free time to it, “to the point that I never really know when I am and am not working”.

For her, “architecture is like a game, it has that experimentation side which I find really entertaining. I believe there is a certain fear of doing things with one’s hands, but I love it, I suppose because of the immediacy of making something and above all, because it is when you make something with your hands that you really notice all the details”.

“Construction is an innate characteristic in human beings. As children we build sand castles, it’s in our nature, and architecture helps enhance that side of us”, she says.

Mariana is always connected to her childhood. “My house in Madrid is like one of those tree houses; when I was small I used to have great fun trying to make them. The beauty is trying to play, but without falling into childishness, without crossing that fine line”.

“The best part of any project, for me, is when you finish it. When that moment comes, the feeling is one of satisfaction and relief”, she says, although she admits that [...]

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