The degree certificate for Matilde Ucelay was withheld by state authorities for a decade following her graduation. As the first woman in Spain to receive a license in architecture, she navigated a career defined by both institutional milestones and the political pressures that emerged during the Spanish Civil War.
Academic Achievement and Licensing
Ucelay studied at the Instituto-Escuela before enrolling at the Superior Technical School of Architecture of Madrid in 1931. By accelerating her coursework, she completed her degree requirements by June 1936. Her formal recognition occurred on 10 July 1936 at the National Hotel, attended by Amós Salvador Carreras. Despite this achievement, she faced bureaucratic delays, and her official architecture title was not issued until 1946.
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Following the Spanish Civil War, Ucelay became a target of the Franco regime. Due to her role on the Governing Board of the Women Association of Architects of Madrid in 1936, she faced a tribunal. On 9 July 1942, she received a sentence of perpetual disqualification from public office, a five-year ban from private practice, and a financial penalty of 30,000 pesetas.
Professional Legacy
Throughout her career, Ucelay produced numerous residential and commercial designs. Her portfolio includes the Oswald House in Madrid’s Puerta de Hierro, the Bernstein House, the Marichalar House, and the Ortega Esportono house. She also designed the Benitez Lugo House in Las Palmas, a residence on Long Island, and the Turner and Hispano-Argentina bookstores. In 2004, the Spanish state acknowledged her contributions by awarding her the National Architecture Award of Spain.
Fast facts
- Born: 1912, Madrid
- Died: 24 November 2008, Madrid
- First female architecture graduate in Spain
- Education: Superior Technical School of Architecture of Madrid
- National Architecture Award of Spain recipient, 2004
- Notable work: Casa Oswald
- Sentenced by the state in 1942
Questions readers ask
Was Matilde Ucelay the first woman to study architecture in Spain?
She was the first woman to receive an architecture degree and license in Spain, graduating in 1936.
What were the primary consequences of her trial in 1942?
She was banned from private practice for five years, disqualified from public office, and fined 30,000 pesetas.
Achievements
- Notable work: Casa Oswald
- National Architecture Award of Spain
- Trained at Superior Technical School of Architecture of Madrid and Technical University of Madrid
