The Pritzker Architecture Prize, the field's highest honor, has been awarded to the Paris-based duo of Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal for “prioritizing the enrichment of human life," especially in the context of public housing. The selection of the French laureates, who have long focused on creating more liveable structures that connect to nature in even the densest of urban settings, was announced Tuesday by Tom Pritzker, chairman of The Hyatt Foundation, which sponsors the award. “Through their design of private and social housing, cultural and academic institutions, public spaces, and urban developments, Lacaton and Vassal re-examine sustainability in their reverence for pre-existing structures, conceiving projects by first taking inventory of what already exists,” organizers said in a statement.
Philippe Ruault
toggle caption Philippe Ruault
Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal, this year s winners of the most prestigious award in architecture, are as surprised as anyone else. Of course it s very pleasant, and we are very pleased, Lacaton marveled in a Zoom call with NPR. She and her partner, both wearing black, smiled broadly from the screen behind their blocky eyeglasses. The Pritzker jury citation says that Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal have shown that architecture can have a great impact on our communities and contribute to the awareness that we are not alone. Laurent Chalet
toggle caption Laurent Chalet