Archinect - News

Robert Stern refuses to sign petition for Pritzker to grant joint prize to Denise Scott Brown

2013-04-18T14:25:00-04:00

Robert A. M. Stern, the dean of Yale’s Architecture School, said he declined to sign the petition because he objected to its use of the word “demand,” but that he backed it in principle. “It would be wonderful for the Pritzker committee to review the situation and to offer her the prize,” Mr. Stern said. “The nature of the collaboration was so intense on every level.”

Denise Scott Brown discusses her "unusual situation"

2013-04-05T16:30:00-04:00

Naturally, there were some projects that Bob worked on more and others that I worked on more. Sometimes our collaboration was more close than others. But I think our best projects were when we worked together. I remember so many real tousles—and those were the projects that worked out best.

The co-founder of Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates (now VSBA) talks to ARCHITECT about a petition to put her name on the 1991 Pritzer Architecture Prize, about sexism in architecture, and about her career in design.

h/t Ana María León

Editor's Picks #309

2013-04-02T11:00:00-04:00

Archinect was excited to announce a competition we're co-hosting with Designer Pages and the LA Film Festival. This competition seeks proposals for the interior design/layout of the VIP Director's Lounge for this year's LA Film Festival. The winner will have their design executed, with a cash prize and an "Industry Badge" pass to the LA Film Festival in June. The winner's designs will also be on display in the director's lounge throughout the festival.

News
The Architect’s Journal reported that Denise Scott Brown has called for her role in Robert Venturi’s 1991 win to be acknowledged retrospectively as a salute to "the notion of joint creativity" and retrospectively acknowledge her role in Robert Venturi’s 1991 Pritzker Prize during an AJ Women in Architecture luncheon in late March. Since, nearly 2,000 advocates have passionately rallied in Brown’s support by signing an online petition created by Harvard’s GSD Woman in Design Group. Among the signatures include architects Zaha...

Call for Denise Scott Brown to be given Pritzker recognition

2013-03-25T17:18:00-04:00

In a speech prepared for the AJ Women in Architecture lunch, Scott Brown called on her role in Robert Venturi’s 1991 win to be acknowledged retrospectively. Describing it as a ‘very sad’ situation, she said: ‘They owe me not a Pritzker Prize but a Pritzker inclusion ceremony. Let’s salute the notion of joint creativity.’

Toyo Ito announced as recipient for 2013 Pritzker Prize

2013-03-17T16:09:00-04:00

For nearly 40 years, Toyo Ito has pursued excellence. His work has not remained static and has never been predictable. He has been an inspiration and influenced the thinking of younger generations of architects both within his land and abroad.

Contrary to the popular choice of Steven Holl, in this year's Pritzker Bets thread in the Archinect forum, Toyo Ito takes the prestigious award. Credit goes to members jk3hl, miesian and helenakeys for their insightful predictions (or hopes, to be more accurate).

Steven Ward says, "Yep, there's def a grudge against Holl..."

There's no denying, however, that Toyo Ito is deserving of the Pritzker. Perhaps Holl's year is next.

Tower of Winds, 1986, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa, Japan
Photo by Tomio Ohashi

The 2013 Pritzker Architecture Prize Ceremony Will Be Held in Boston at the John F. Kennedy Library.

Some comments from this year's jurors:

Toyo Ito, his manner, methodology, and generosity of mind and spirit to the younger generation of architects; as well as the brilliance of the constant innovation and execution of his work throughout his long and distinguished career, are qualities that those younger architects would do well to study. Toyo Ito is, quite simply, a ma...

Pritzker Winner Eduardo Souto de Moura Honored with Israel’s Prestigious Wolf Prize

2013-01-03T14:07:00-05:00

Portuguese architect and 2011 Pritzker Prize winner Eduardo Souto de Moura was announced today as one of this year's laureates of Israel’s prestigious Wolf Prize. Souto de Moura is being honored for his achievements in architecture while other prizes are given to scientists in the fields of physics, mathematics, chemistry, and agriculture.

Wang Shu blasts demolition culture in China

2012-05-24T14:19:00-04:00

The Chinese winner of architecture’s most prestigious award has criticised the wanton demolition that has left many of the nation’s cities fragmented and almost unrecognisable to their citizens. The comments from Wang Shu, who will on Friday receive the 2012 Pritzker prize in a ceremony in Beijing, highlight widespread complaints in China about urban planning amid a process of urbanisation that saw more than 20m rural dwellers move to cities last year alone.

Pritzker prize’s double payoff: Fame for Chinese architect, possible brand boost for Hyatt

2012-05-24T14:14:00-04:00

When architect Wang Shu accepts his field’s richest prize in a ceremony Friday at the seat of China’s legislature, a symbolic second winner will be waiting in the background — Hyatt Hotels. The Pritzker Architecture Prize has special resonance for communist leaders who want to promote China as a global cultural power. Receiving it made Wang a celebrity in China. Until now, the 49-year-old had been little known outside architecture circles.

Editor's Picks #253

2012-03-04T18:04:00-05:00

Chinese architect Wang Shu was this week named the 2012 Pritzker Prize winner. Will Galloway commented "unexpected but very coolio. i met wang shu last year at conference held by my uni her in tokyo. nice guy and very impressive presentation. love his work and his approach. i like that pritzker is not going after the usual suspects, personally."

Woody Evans a librarian living on the south side of Dubai., recently interviewed Sophia Vyzoviti an assistant professor of architectural design methodology at the Department of Architecture, University of Thessaly Greece, about Building Between Dimensions.

They discussed augmented reality, touching stuff, and the aesthetics of smart textures. Sophia is quoted therein saying "Material computing is a recent discipline specific term that describes the analogue form-finding processes complementing the new digital design tools". The two also explored the possible implications of applying the phrase uncanny valley from robotics to the development of biomimetic architecture. There is also this mouthful of a passage, used to describe Sophia’s book Soft Shells, "The work is primarily analogue, conducted in a low-tech, high-concept fashion, but operates as a digital morphogenesis propedia, exercises algorithmic thinking and suggests alternative and cross-over fabrication methods".

News

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Wang Shu is named first Chinese Pritzker winner

2012-02-27T11:27:00-05:00

Wang Shu, 49, deftly melds tradition and modernity, often by reusing bricks and tiles from demolished buildings in such bold new designs as a history museum in the Chinese city of Ningbo. Wang calls his office the "Amateur Architecture Studio," yet that name is far too modest, the jury that selected him said in its citation. His work "is that of a virtuoso in full command of the instruments of architecture — form, scale, material, space and light," said the jury...

Note: as the.rkitekt points out below in the comments, "Wang is NOT the first Chinese architect to win the Pritzker as so many writers are mentioning. I.M. Pei won in the 80's and while living predominantely in the US, he was born in Guangzhou, China. Wang is the first China based Chinese architect to win the prize."

Pritzker Architecture Prize ceremonies head to China

2011-10-27T16:58:57-04:00

The 2012 Pritzker Architecture Prize Ceremony will be held in Beijing, China on May 25, 2012, it was disclosed today In a joint announcement by Guo Jinlong, the Mayor of Beijing, China and Thomas J. Pritzker, Chairman of The Hyatt Foundation.