Peter Zumthor Becomes the 2009 Pritzker Architecture Prize
Laureate
Peter Zumthor
Photo by Gary Ebner
Peter Zumthor of Switzerland has been chosen as the 2009 Laureate of the
Pritzker Architecture Prize. The formal ceremony for what has come to be known
throughout the world as architecture’s highest honor will be held on May 29 in
Buenos Aires, Argentina. At that time, a $100,000 grant and a bronze medallion
will be bestowed on the 65-year old architect.
Although most of his work is in Switzerland, he has designed projects in
Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, England, Spain, Norway, Finland and the
United States. His most famous work is in Vals, Switzerland — the Thermal Baths,
which has been referred to by the press as “his masterpiece.” Most recently
critics have praised his Field Chapel to Saint Nikolaus von der Flüe near
Cologne, Germany. The jury singled out not only those buildings, but also the
Kolumba Museum in Cologne, calling the latter “a startling contemporary work,
but also one that is completely at ease with its many layers of history.”
In announcing the jury’s choice, Thomas J. Pritzker, chairman of The Hyatt
Foundation, quoted from the jury citation, “Peter Zumthor is a master architect
admired by his colleagues around the world for work that is focused,
uncompromising and exceptionally determined.” And he added, “All of Peter
Zumthor’s buildings have a strong, timeless presence. He has a rare talent of
combining clear and rigorous thought with a truly poetic dimension, resulting in
works that never cease to inspire.”
2007 Brother Klaus Field Chapel - Wachendorf, Eifel, Germany
Images: sketch by Peter Zumthor, Photo by Walter Mair, Photo by Pietro Savorelli
In Zumthor’s own words as expressed in his book, Thinking Architecture, “I
believe that architecture today needs to reflect on the tasks and possibilities
which are inherently its own. Architecture is not a vehicle or a symbol for
things that do not belong to its essence. In a society that celebrates the
inessential, architecture can put up a resistance, counteract the waste of forms
and meanings, and speak its own language. I believe that the language of
architecture is not a question of a specific style. Every building is built for
a specific use in a specific place and for a specific society. My buildings try
to answer the questions that emerge from these simple facts as precisely and
critically as they can.”
Pritzker Prize jury chairman, The Lord Palumbo elaborated with more of the
citation: “Zumthor has a keen ability to create places that are much more than a
single building. His architecture expresses respect for the primacy of the site,
the legacy of a local culture and the invaluable lessons of architectural
history.” He continued, “In Zumthor’s skillful hands, like those of the
consummate craftsman, materials from cedar shingles to sandblasted glass are
used in a way that celebrates their own unique qualities, all in the service of
an architecture of permanence.”
Zumthor, when notified that he had been named the 2009 laureate, responded, “Being
awarded the Pritzker Prize is a wonderful recognition of the architectural work
we have done in the last 20 years. That a body of work as small as ours is
recognized in the professional world makes us feel proud and should give much
hope to young professionals that if they strive for quality in their work it
might become visible without any special promotion.”
The Zumthor choice marks the second time in three decades of the Pritzker
Architecture Prize that Switzerland has provided the laureate. In 2001, Jacques
Herzog and Pierre de Meuron were the honorees. The purpose of the Pritzker
Architecture Prize is to honor annually a living architect 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.
The distinguished jury that selected Zumthor as the 2009 Laureate consists of
its chairman, Lord Palumbo, internationally known architectural patron of
London, chairman of the trustees, Serpentine Gallery, former chairman of the
Arts Council of Great Britain, former chairman of the Tate Gallery Foundation,
and former trustee of the Mies van der Rohe Archive at the Museum of Modern Art,
New York; and alphabetically: Alejandro Aravena, architect and executive
director of Elemental in Santiago, Chile; Shigeru Ban, architect and professor
at Keio University, Tokyo, Japan; Rolf Fehlbaum, chairman of the board, Vitra in
Basel, Switzerland; Carlos Jimenez, Professor, Rice University School of
Architecture, principal, Carlos Jimenez Studio in Houston, Texas; Juhani
Pallasmaa, architect, professor and author of Helsinki, Finland; Renzo Piano,
architect and Pritzker Laureate, of Paris, France and Genoa, Italy; and Karen
Stein, writer, editor and architectural consultant in New York. Martha Thorne,
asssociate dean for external relations, IE School of Architecture, Madrid,
Spain, is executive director.
“There have been two Pritzker Prize Laureates from South America, but we have
never held the ceremony there,” explained Pritzker. “The first was Oscar
Niemeyer of Brazil in 1988, and then another Brazilian in 2006, Paulo Mendes da
Rocha. We held their ceremonies in Chicago and Istanbul respectively. The venues
change every year, moving around the world focusing on historic and
architecturally significant sites. We’ve held ceremoies in Asia, Europe and
North America, including Mexico, so it is time to visit South America.”
Further Information:
The Hyatt Foundation
8802 Ashcroft Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90048-2402
web:
www.pritzkerprize.com/laureates/2009
german version