In news : French architect duo, Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal, were honoured with the 2021 Pritzker Prize recently
About Pritzker Architecture prize
- It is the international prize, which is awarded each year to a living architect/s for significant achievement
- It honours architects 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”
- It is considered to be one of the world’s premier architecture prizes, and is often referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture
- Launch: The award was founded in 1979 by Jay A. Pritzker and his wife Cindy
- Funding: the award is funded by the Pritzker family and sponsored by the Hyatt Foundation
- The Pritzker Architecture Prize is said to be awarded “irrespective of nationality, race, creed, or ideology”.
- The recipients receive US$100,000, a citation certificate, and, since 1987, a bronze medallion
Anne Lacaton
She is a French architect and educator. She runs the architectural practice Lacaton & Vassal, with Jean-Philippe Vassal.
Jean-Philippe Vassal
He is a French architect and academic. He runs the architectural practice Lacaton & Vassal, with Anne Lacaton.
Contribution of Jean Philippe & Lacatonn
- Lacaton & Vassal have worked with Frederic Druot on sustainable housing projects, reinventing old 1960s era social housing in a project called Plus.
- Plus is an initiative to upgrade old social housing into better living spaces.
- Initially based in Bordeaux, the practice moved to Paris in 2000.
- Lacaton & Vassal’s work focuses on reduced-cost construction.
- Many projects are hybrids between a contemporary building concept and more diverse techniques, upsetting building contractors’ standard usages.
Source: Indian Express
