THE PRITZKER PRIZE 2016 IS ALEJANDRO ARAVENA

'More than the enigma of a stone, I like its calmness'

"Innovation and knowledge creation requires on the one hand, to increase the encounters among people, so openness is a desired attribute for its architecture; on the other hand, developments and inventions have to be protected, so security and ability to close and segregate are appreciated architectural conditions as well. We proposed a rather opaque construction towards the outside, which is also efficient for the Santiago weather and then have a very permeable architecture inside. Having the structure and the shafts on the perimeter of the building reverts the typical curtain wall building layout and concentrates openings in a very specific points in the form of elevated squares." Alejandro Aravena about the Innovation center UC

Congratulations to Alejandro Aravena, who wins the 2016 Pritzker Prize ( the architecture nobel prize). Alejandro Aravena was born on June 22, 1967, in Santiago, Chile. He graduated as an architect from the Universidad Católica de Chile in 1992. In 1994, he established his own practice, Alejandro Aravena Architects. Since 2001 he has been leading ELEMENTAL, a “Do Tank” focusing on projects of public interest and social impact, including housing, public space, infrastructure, and transportation. See more about the architect's practice via alejandroaravena.com

2016 Pritzker Prize Jury : 

- The Lord Palumbo (Chairman): Architectural patron, Chairman Emeritus of the Trustees, Serpentine Galleries; Former Chairman of the Arts Council of Great Britain; Former Chairman of the Tate Gallery Foundation. London, England. 

- Stephen Breyer: U.S. Supreme Court Justice. Washington, DC.

- Yung Ho Chang: Architect and Educator. Beijing, The People’s Republic of China. 

- Kristin Feireiss: Architecture Curator, Writer, and Editor. Berlin, Germany.

- Glenn Murcutt: Architect and Pritzker Laureate 2002. Sydney, Australia.

- Richard Rogers: Architect and Pritzker Laureate 2007. London, England.

- Benedetta Tagliabue: Architect and Educator. Barcelona, Spain.

- Ratan N Tata: Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group. Mumbai, India.

- Martha Thorne (Executive Director): Dean, IE School of Architecture & Design. Madrid, Spain.

Previous Laureates :

2015 Laureate, Frei Otto
2014 Laureate, Shigeru Ban
2013 Laureate, Toyo Ito
2012 Laureate, Wang Shu 
2011 Laureate, Eduardo Souto de Moura 
2010 Laureates, Kazuyo Sejima & Ryue Nishizawa
2009 Laureate, Peter Zumthor
2008 Laureate, Jean Nouvel
2007 Laureate, Richard Rogers
2006 Laureate, Paulo Mendes da Rocha 
2005 Laureate, Thom Mayne
2004 Laureate, Zaha Hadid
2003 Laureate, Jorn Utzon
2002 Laureate, Glenn Murcutt
2001 Laureate, Jacques Herzog & Pierre de Meuron 
2000 Laureate, Rem Koolhaas
1999 Laureate, Norman Foster
1998 Laureate, Renzo Piano
1997 Laureate, Sverre Fehn 
1996 Laureate, Rafael Moneo
1995 Laureate, Tadao Ando
1994 Laureate, Christian de Portzamparc
1993 Laureate, Fumihiko Maki
1992 Laureate, Alvaro Vieira Siza 
1991 Laureate, Robert Venturi
1990 Laureate, Aldo Rossi
1989 Laureate, Frank Gehry
1988 Laureate, Oscar Niemeyer & Gordon Bunshaft
1987 Laureate, Kenzo Tange
1986 Laureate, Gottfried Bohm
1985 Laureate, Hans Hollein
1984 Laureate, Richard Meier
1983 Laureate, I M Pei
1982 Laureate, Kevin Roche
1981 Laureate, James Stirling
1980 Laureate, Luis Barragan
1979 Laureate, Philip Johnson

 
The international prize, which is awarded each year to a living architect/s for significant achievement, was established by the Pritzker family of Chicago through their Hyatt Foundation in 1979. It is granted annually and is often referred to as “architecture’s Nobel” and “the profession’s highest honor.”