Regino Borobio Ojeda was born in Zaragoza in 1895, into an enlightened bourgeois family, sensitive to the arts and culture. His father, a paediatrician, gave his five children a solid academic education, while instilling in them an early interest in the humanities and scientific disciplines. From a young age, Regino showed a penchant for architecture and drawing, tendencies that he also transmitted to his younger brother, José Borobio, 12 years his junior, who eventually joined his professional studio.

He completed his secondary school studies at the Polytechnic School of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza. Subsequently, he moved to Madrid to enrol in the School of Architecture, where he earned his degree in 1919. He studied under the Aragonese architect Ricardo Magdalena, one of the leading figures in the regionalist architecture of that community. Magdalena had a significant impact on Zaragoza through works that reinterpreted the Aragonese Renaissance and Mudéjar styles, combined with modern structural solutions.

Regino Borobio’s return to Zaragoza in 1919, after completing his studies, was an almost immediate success and he quickly consolidated a position for himself in the Aragonese architectural scene. Although they did not collaborate directly, his close ties to Ricardo Magdalena, who took him on as a disciple, gave him access to a prominent clientele and significant commissions. That same year, he participated alongside the architect Teodoro Ríos in the preliminary design competition for the General and Technical Institute of Salamanca, where they won first prize. This was his first competition win, although not his first project, as he had previously renovated a residential building in the centre of Zaragoza, which is no longer standing.

In 1931, his brother José joined the studio; he was a recent graduate from the Madrid School and had trained under the influence of architects such as Fernando García Mercadal and Casto Fernández-Shaw, who introduced the postulates of rationalism to Spain.

Following the Spanish Civil War, Regino Borobio served for three years as acting chief architect for the Municipal Architecture Department of Zaragoza, a position he held until 1942. During this period he undertook various projects related to urban planning and renewal. His works from those years display a traditionalist aesthetic, with a predominant use of brick, clearly influenced by his teacher Magdalena and the stylistic guidelines imposed by the Franco regime. His work as an urban planner was particularly intense during this early period, which he resumed in earnest in the 1950s when he was again named director of urban planning in Zaragoza.

Beyond his work in public architecture during the years of autarky, he gradually incorporated elements of the rationalist formal repertoire, influenced by his brother José. José’s full inclusion in the studio, with an increasingly prominent role, marked a definitive opening towards modernity, consolidating the firm as one of the main drivers of architectural renovation in Aragon. Together, the brothers designed various housing projects for a wealthy clientele seeking modern, comfortable homes in prominent areas of Zaragoza, such as Paseo de Ruiseñores and Paseo de Sagasta. These single-family homes were built on large plots surrounded by gardens.

Regino Borobio was also a prominent participant in institutions. He received multiple honorary awards and held numerous professional and representative positions at the local and provincial levels. He was appointed educational architect for the provinces of Zaragoza and Huesca and, in 1923, he earned a position, by competitive examination, as assistant professor at the School of Engineers, a role he maintained until his retirement in 1966. From 1926 to 1931, he served as a consulting architect for the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation and, in 1928, he took over as the architect for the diocese of Zaragoza and Tarazona. He was an active member of the Architects’ Association of Aragon, Navarre and La Rioja, and held positions of responsibility on its governing board, including the deanship. At the same time, he maintained a firm commitment to educating new generations of architects, collaborating with the Zaragoza School of Arts and Crafts and participating in professional conferences and debates.

He died in Zaragoza in 1976, leaving behind a solid, coherent body of work that demonstrates a deep commitment to functional, subdued architecture in the service of society. Although his figure has been partially overshadowed by the notoriety of some of his contemporaries, Regino Borobio Ojeda was a key player in the transition towards architectural modernity in Aragon. His legacy, in both built and intellectual work, has been increasingly recognized in recent studies, which acknowledge his central role in revitalizing the regional architectural language during the 20th century.

Regino was the father of eight children from his marriage to María Gloria Navarro, two of whom became architects: Regino (known as Regino Borobio Navarro) and Luis Borobio Navarro.

Biography by Roger Subirà

Bibliography

• BERGERA SERANO, Iñaki, ESTABÉN BOLDOVA Daniel, Regino y José Borobio, arquitectura y fotografía, Institución Fernando el Católico, Zaragoza, 2016.
• LABORDA YNEVA, José, Confederación Hidrográfica del Ebro, Zaragoza, 1933-1946 Regino y José Borobio Ojeda, Colección Archivos de arquitectura, España Siglo XX, Colegio de Arquitectos de Almería, Almería, 2001.
• AA VV, Arquitectura Contemporánea en España, TOMO IV, Regino y José Borobio, Ediciones de Arquitectura Edarba, Madrid, 1936.
• POZO MUNICIO, José Manuel, Regino Borobio Ojeda (1895-1976), Universidad de Extremadura. Servicio de Publicaciones, Cáceres,1991.