Sir David Alan Chiepperfield CH succeeds Diébédo Francis Kéré. The 69-year-old Briton was named winner of the Pritzker Prize on Tuesday, March 7, 2023.
David Chipperfield – © Benjamin McMahon
Over a career spanning more than forty years, David Chipperfield has established himself as a prolific architect, with more than a hundred works throughout Europe, Asia and North America. Regarded as a committed architect, his creations, whatever their typology (public, cultural, residential buildings, etc.), always respect the natural and urban environment. He draws on a rich network of references and draws inspiration from pre-existing elements, trying to maintain a dialogue between places and their history in order to create an architectural language that is adapted to and respectful of the environment in which his work is rooted. He rethinks the functional aspect of his new buildings and places accessibility at the forefront. Through the materials he uses and the minimalist, uncluttered aesthetic he imbues his projects with, Chipperfield uses architecture to respond to climate emergencies, while systematically taking into account the social impact of buildings on the quality of collective life.
“I see this award as an encouragement to continue to focus my attention not only on the substance of architecture and its meaning, but also on the contribution we can make as architects to addressing the existential challenges of climate change and societal inequality,” says David Chipperfield following his nomination. “We know that as architects, we can play a greater and more committed role in creating a world that is not only more beautiful, but also more just and sustainable.”
The Pritzker jury praised the winner’s architectural language, which “reconciles coherence with fundamental design principles and flexibility with respect to local cultures… David Chipperfield’s work unifies European classicism, the complex nature of Britain, and even the delicacy of Japan. It is the culmination of cultural diversity.
Tom Pritzker, Chairman of the Hyatt Foundation, which sponsors the prize, adds: “He is self-confident without being pretentious, constantly avoiding trends in order to confront and maintain the links between tradition and innovation, in the service of history and humanity”.
After graduating from the Kingston School of Art and the Architectural Association in London in 1977, David Chipperfield worked for the renowned architects Richard Rogers and Norman Foster before opening his own practice, David Chipperfield Architects, in London in 1984. The firm now has offices in Milan, Berlin, Shanghai and Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
River and Rowing Museum – © Hisao Suzuki
The construction of the River and Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thame (England) in 1997 brought him international recognition. Since then, David Chipperfield’s work has been widely rewarded. In 1999, he was awarded the Heinrich Tessenow Medal (Germany), and became an honorary member of the Florence Academy of Art and Design in 2003. In 2011, he won the RIBA Royal Gold Medal and the Mies van der Rohe Award (European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture). More recently, in 2021, he was awarded the Order of Companions of Honor of England.
Focus on some of his achievements:
Morland Mixité Capitale, Paris, 2015-2022
© Sébastien Véronèse
Designed in collaboration with developer Emerige, Morland Mixité Capitale, renamed “La Félicité” at the time of its inauguration, was built as part of the “Réinventer Paris” program. Intended as a “neighborhood building”, it offers a mix of functions, populations and activities. It illustrates the result of a large-scale renovation, combining extension, rehabilitation and remodeling of pre-existing buildings. David Chipperfield pays great attention to sustainability and urban continuity, preserving the original elements and urban fabric in which Morland Mixité Capitale is embedded.
The main approach is to make the complex welcoming, while adopting an eco-responsible approach. This was achieved by raising the volumes above ground level, creating a new circulation axis, in addition to the addition of vaulted arcades on the first floor, inviting passers-by in while contrasting with the austere original columns. The low consumption of energy and resources was made possible by a heat exchange energy cycle and a plant purification system to recover grey water from the roof.
Galerie James-Simon, Berlin, 2018
© Simon Menges
© Ken Wagner
Serving as the entrance building to Museum Island, the James Simon Gallery is the latest addition to a complex that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999.
David Chipperfield reuses the exterior elements of the buildings on Museum Island, such as the colonnades and grand staircases, recalling the work of Karl Friedrich Schinkel and other architects involved in the island’s construction. The use of natural stone on the facade, notably limestone and sandstone, creates a harmonious whole, allowing the gallery to blend seamlessly into the surrounding buildings.
Amorepacific headquarters, Seoul, 2010-2017
© Noshee
Amorepacific, a Korean beauty products company, called on David Chipperfield to remodel its headquarters in downtown Seoul.
One of the aims of the project was to showcase the company’s social, cultural and professional ambitions by combining the workplace with activity and leisure areas (museum, auditorium, restaurant, etc.). Access to nature and vegetation is made possible – even in a dense urban fabric – thanks to raised gardens and a large atrium. David Chipperfield gives the façade a coherent, airy appearance, while taking into account the issue of environmental performance, through the use of brise-soleil. It lets in sunlight while providing shade, thus reducing the thermal load.
Considered a “Nobel of Architecture”, the Pritzker Prize, founded in 1979, is awarded annually to a living architect whose “work has made a consistent and significant contribution to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture”.
Pyrène Mary-Savi
