Reporter | Chen Jiajing
Editor | Huang Yue
The Pritzker Architecture Prize is known as the "Nobel Prize in Architecture". Since its inception in 1979, it has been awarded every year to one or more living architects who have made outstanding contributions. In recognition of the lasting and outstanding contributions their architecture has made to the humanities and the built environment. At 22:00 Beijing time yesterday, the official website of the Pritzker Architecture Prize announced this year’s two winners. They are Anne Lacaton from France and Jean-Philippe Vassar, who was born in Morocco. Philippe Vassal).
In 1987, Lacaton and Vassal established their architectural practice in Paris. Over the past 30 years, they have designed numerous projects such as private and social residences, cultural and academic institutions, public spaces, and urban development strategies, including the Radapé House in France (1993), Cape Ferret House (1998), Bordeaux Residence (1999), Nantes National School of Architecture (2009), etc. The greatest feature of these architectural works is the selection of economical and ecological materials, giving priority to the abundance of space and freedom of use, thus reflecting the two architects' advocacy of social justice and sustainability.
Over the past year, whether for health, political or social reasons, people have felt more than ever that they are part of the human race. This is one of the reasons why this year’s Pritzker Architecture Prize was awarded to Lacaton and Vassal. The jury wrote in their citation: "They not only define an architectural method that renews the legacy of modernism, but also propose adjustments to the very definition of the architectural profession. Their architectural works have a profound impact on the climate and ecology of our time. The response to emergencies and social distress, especially in the area of urban housing, rekindled the hopes and dreams of modernist architects to improve the lives of the masses. They did so because of their understanding of the spaces and materials that make up buildings. A powerful perception, a belief as strong as its form, and an aesthetic as clear as its ethics."
Lacaton and Vassal's concern for the environment and ecology is not accidental. In the late 1970s, both Lacaton and Vassal received architectural education at the National School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture in Bordeaux, France, where they met. Later, Lacaton went to Bordeaux University Montaigne to study for a master's degree in urban planning, while Vassal went to Niger in West Africa to engage in urban planning practice. During this period, Lacaton often went to Niger to visit Vassal, and they were deeply affected by the beauty of Niger, a desert country, and the sorrow of scarce resources.
"Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, but the people are so incredible, so generous, doing almost everything with their bare hands; they are always looking for resources, but always remain optimistic, poetic and creative Force. It was really my second architecture school,” Vassar recalled.
To a large extent, this time in Niger became the foundation of the two’s future architectural theories. In Niamey , the capital of Niger, Lacaton and Vassal built their first collaborative project: building a grass shed using local shrub branches, allowing it to be blown by the wind within two years of completion. Stand firm. From then on, they set a rule for themselves - never demolish anything that can be saved, and make what already exists last longer. Later, Lacaton and Vassal continued to expand this concept of sustainable development, turning it into a true balance between the three pillars of economy, environment and society. They believe that "architecture is more than just a building" but "belongs to and is responsible for a larger whole."
The opposite of demolition is the transformation of space. Many of Lacaton and Vassal's construction projects have achieved both reasonable, effective and innovative transformation of space. They are able to skillfully select appropriate materials to create larger living spaces at a lower cost, giving priority to ensuring that the building The well-being of the occupants.For example, in their early architectural project Radapi House (1993), the duo built winter gardens and balconies, and used greenhouse technology to create an ideal microclimate that could be artificially adjusted, allowing residents to save energy all year round. And get close to nature.
Other representative residential renovation projects include a low-rise residence of 59 apartments in Neppert Gardens (2015), and several adjacent mid-rise buildings housing 96 apartments in Chalon-sur-Saone, France. Apartment (2016). In 2017, Lacaton and Vassal teamed up with Frédéric Derouwer and Christophe Houtin to complete a much larger project of 530 apartments in three buildings in the Grand Park in Bordeaux, France. Transformation. It is worth mentioning that while adding flexible space to each apartment, they did not move residents away during construction, but instead helped residents maintain rent stability. For this project, they received the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture, the Mies van der Rohe Prize, in 2019.
Lacaton has always insisted: "Renovation is an opportunity to use existing resources to do more and better. Demolition is a simple but short-sighted decision. It wastes a lot of things, wastes energy, wastes materials, and is even more wasteful." history. And, it has a very negative social impact. In our opinion, it is an act of violence.”
Therefore, even in new projects, respect for the original buildings pervades the way they work. Always. In Cape Ferret, France, they built a private residence on an undeveloped piece of land in Arcachon Bay. The purpose was to minimize the damage to the natural environment. This private residence is Cape Ferret House ( 1998). Instead of cutting down the 46 existing trees on the site, the architects cultivated native vegetation, raised the foundation of the house, and placed it within the shadow of the surrounding trees, allowing the residents to live surrounded by plants. According to Vassar, good architecture is a space where special things can happen. It should be a place where people feel happy, comfortable and comfortable, and a space full of emotion and pleasure. At the same time, it also structures people's relationship with the city and their relationship with what they see.
In recent years, Lacaton and Vassal have taught at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and the Berlin University of the Arts in Germany respectively, and continue their architectural practice to introduce beauty into people's lives. Currently, their ongoing work includes transforming a hospital into 138 mid-rise apartments in Paris, France, a mixed-use building providing hotel and commercial space in Toulouse, France, and a mid-rise building containing 40 apartments in Hamburg, Germany.
