Alejandro Ciudad Gallardo
TELEPHONE:
ADDRESS:
Calle Abel, 13, 3.º, 3.ª – 28039 Madrid
ACTIVITY
Alejandro Ciudad does all sorts of traditional building work.
He uses mainly lime, gypsum plasters and clays as binding materials. His contact with other artisans, including from other trades, prompted him to explore the field of renders and decorative finishes, which account for much of the… work that he now does. He applies renders with limewash, mortar, stucco or smooth plaster, and masters the trabadillo lime and gypsum technique in its various uses. He also makes seamless flooring with both plaster and lime.
He works on heritage buildings and also in conventional or contemporary projects, adapting to today’s construction needs. But his use of traditional techniques and preparation of his own blends mean that he does not depend on industrial materials and solutions.
TRAINING
Alejandro is the son and grandson of builders and entered the trade at an early age, helping his father on worksites. He started out in construction as an assistant and apprentice on civil engineering sites, then moved on to buildings. Only later did he come… into contact with natural materials.
His curiosity and determination have prompted him to learn from everyone with whom he has worked over his career, although he also has a self-taught facet and has devoted time to the study of such authors as T. Turco, Vitruvio, Ángel Truñó or Ignacio Gárate.
Moreover, the opportunity to learn with Luis Prieto Prieto with the 2019 Donald Gray Grant was vital to rounding off his training and consolidating his know-how and expertise.
He has also participated in various training courses with masters such as Carlos Martín in Homo Faber (timbrel vaults), Paloma Folache (tadelakt), or Luis Prieto at the School of Historic Heritage in Nájera (traditional stucco with gypsum and lime), among others. He has also witnessed traditional kiln-firing of gypsum in Morón de la Frontera.
TEACHING
He has given introductory courses on a casual basis in various traditional techniques and has contributed to workshops and courses on the trabadillo technique and plaster flooring alongside Luis Prieto, some of them held in the Lime Museum of Morón.
SELECTED WORK
Participation in structural consolidation and restoration work in the Church of Las Comendadoras de Santiago in Madrid, with Luis Prieto
Laying of a gypsum plaster floor with Martens Jonathan in Brittany (France)
Participating in the laying of a cocciopesto floor in Italy with the architect Micaela Piciaccia
Taking… part in an experimental archaeology camp with the AQUAROLE research project at Granada University, preparing and applying Roman mortars
