The Albuquerque Journal is reporting Antoine Predock to have passed away on March 2nd at the age of 87.
The architect and long-tenured University of New Mexico faculty member left a mark on the state he called his “spiritual home” over a four-decade career that culminated in the 2006 AIA Gold Medal and a Lifetime Achievement honor from the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Awards the following year.
Predock is best known for creating the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg and a definitive portfolio of public, institutional, and residential designs in New Mexico and the Southwest Region, which was a constant source of inspiration. His work outside of the state eventually garnered the most recognition, notably his design for Austin, Texas’s City Hall, the Tang Teaching Museum at Skidmore College, and the well-admired Petco Park in San Diego.
Predock also operated an office in Taiwan throughout his career, which saw his Albuquerque-based firm featured in many international exhibitions and publications after being established in 1967.
Outside of practice, Predock left behind an indelible legacy at the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P). In 2017, the school named its new Predock Center for Design and Research in his honor after he donated his archive (Predock left UNM as an undergrad to pursue a degree in architecture at Columbia University). He was likewise honored by the city of Albuquerque, which declared June 24th to be Antoine Predock Day in 2021.
Later commissions include the ongoing $80 million Red Trail bike and pedestrian parkway project in Albuquerque, private residences in Costa Rica, The Inn extension for the celebrity magnet Bay Area restaurant The French Laundry, and the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum in Taiwan.
Predock will be remembered for making a "spiritual" kind of architecture, a reflection of his character and artistic vision. He had two sons and is survived by his wife, sculptor Constance DeJong, who has also taught at UNM for a number of years.
I would like to take a moment to express a heart-felt 'thank you' to my dearly-departed friend, mentor and fellow architectural provocateur, Antoine Predock, FAIA. He was one of the most 'alive' personalities I've ever worked with, and I seem to remember just about everything he ever told me, mostly because it always seemed to blow my hair back with it's wisdom, perspective, inspiration, and vitality; his words were often akin to him whizzing by you on his beloved 1950's Vincent Black Shadow - intense, energetic, urgent, and shaking the earth beneath your feet. We will miss you dearly, but your approach to architecture and how it merges nature with the human experiment will resonate for a very long time. Thank you, Antoine.
A master architect who was full of creativity, life, and youth. We were going to meet in person this year at La Luz, Albuquerque. His legacy will always be alive in New Mexico where he became one with its soul. Godspeed Antoine.
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I would like to take a moment to express a heart-felt 'thank you' to my dearly-departed friend, mentor and fellow architectural provocateur, Antoine Predock, FAIA. He was one of the most 'alive' personalities I've ever worked with, and I seem to remember just about everything he ever told me, mostly because it always seemed to blow my hair back with it's wisdom, perspective, inspiration, and vitality; his words were often akin to him whizzing by you on his beloved 1950's Vincent Black Shadow - intense, energetic, urgent, and shaking the earth beneath your feet. We will miss you dearly, but your approach to architecture and how it merges nature with the human experiment will resonate for a very long time. Thank you, Antoine.
++++++ especially for the U of NM School of Architecture
and the bike, of course.
RIP Mr. Predock.
A master architect who was full of creativity, life, and youth. We were going to meet in person this year at La Luz, Albuquerque. His legacy will always be alive in New Mexico where he became one with its soul. Godspeed Antoine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff2WGcYv41k&ab_channel=OrhanAyyuce
A great architect and spiritual man. I only met and talked to him once but will always remember that moment.
RIP Mr. Predock
I am sorry to hear of his passing. Antoine has left his legacy for us to enjoy and emulate. I have followed his work for decades, and always appreciated his ability to capture the spirit of place and blend his inspiring architecture within its natural setting. Condolence to his wife and family!
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