2008 Pritzker Prize Awarded to French Architect

By Marcus Gilmer in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 31, 2008 6:41PM

Over the weekend, the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize was awarded to French architect Jean Nouvel. The prize, handed out by the Chicago-based Pritzker family, is intended "to honor annually a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture." Nouvel will receive the bronze medallion and a $100,000 purse at the ceremony, held at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. on June 2nd.

The 62-year-old Nouvel is the second Frenchman to win the award. While he did not complete any major buildings in 2007, he completed several in 2006, including the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. More recently, he has gained attention for his controversial plans for a 75-story, mixed-use building in New York City, slated to go up next to the Museum of Modern Art.

While we love the wonderful architecture of Chicago and have even managed to befriend several local architects, the ability to discuss architectural styles escapes us, so we'll defer to the Trib's architectural blog, The Skyline.

Unlike previous Pritzker winner Frank Gehry, well known for his explosive buildings clad in shiny metal, Nouvel has no signature style, preferring to develop a different look for each project. Even so, certain characteristics unite his works, including his inventive use of technology, his manipulation of light and his cinematic approach to design, which likens the architect to a movie director who choreographs the movement of people through time and space.

The Tribune website currently has a slideshow featuring some of Nouvel's works. More information, including a media kit, more photos of Nouvel's work, and a project list can be found at the Pritzker Prize website. An interesting local side note: while several previous winners of the prize (Frank Gehry, Kevin Roche, and I.M. Pei, to name a few) have designed works in Chicago, none are actually from the Chicago area. However, one of the Pritzker Prize jury members, Renzo Piano, is the architect for The Art Institute of Chicago's Modern Wing.

Image of Pritzker Prize medallion courtesy of the Pritzker Prize website