The Pritzker Architecture Prize, one of architecture's greatest honors, was established by The Hyatt Foundation in 1979 to annually honor a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of the qualities of talent, vision, and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture.
"This event is the result of a great collaboration between the National Building Museum and The Hyatt Foundation. We are fortunate that Mr. Nouvel has agreed to present his work to a public audience at Museum the day after the prize ceremony," said Chase W. Rynd, president and executive director, National Building Museum.
Mr. Nouvel joins an accomplished group of Pritzker Prize Laureates who have spoken at the Museum, including Tadao Ando, Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas, Paulo Mendes da Rocha, Glenn Murcutt, and I.M. Pei. The jury citation noted, "For over 30 years, Jean Nouvel has pushed architecture's discourse and praxis to new limits. His inquisitive and agile mind propels him to take risks in each of his projects, which, regardless of varying degrees of success, have greatly expanded the vocabulary of contemporary architecture." Mr. Nouvel, who achieved international acclaim with the completion of his Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA) in 1987 in Paris now has many projects in the United States, including the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis; Tour de Verre, a 75-story tower next door to MoMA in New York; and he recently announced plans for SunCal Tower, a high-rise condominium in Los Angeles. -- www.nationalbuildingmuseum.ne
