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UIA | |
RENZO PIANO,
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Jury citation |
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| From among the numerous and prestigious architects nominated, the jury concluded that Renzo Piano and his work correspond perfectly to the criteria laid out for the attribution of this honorary distinction. He has made an exceptional contribution to architecture's influence around the world, and through the quality of his work has rendered services that greatly surpass the framework of the profession and participate in the harmonious development of society by satisfying both the material and spiritual needs of mankind. His work is both personal and varied; it illustrates his sensitivity to cultural diversity and his intimate knowledge of the milieu of which it is part. His realisations reflect the orientations developed by the International Union of Architects in their global dimension and their respect for cultural identities. Renzo Piano's work associates advanced technological research with the lessons of traditional economy. It provides a top quality architectural response to evolving social needs. In this way, his work is particularly representative of the role of the architect and the contribution he can make to the sustainable development of our planet. For all these reasons, the International Union of Architects is proud to honour Renzo Piano this year, for his personal qualities and the works he has accomplished. |
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Renzo Piano |
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| Renzo Piano was born into a family of builders in Genoa, Italy, in 1937. His grand-father, his father, his uncle, and his brother, all building contractors, gave him his passion for construction. He studied architecture at the Polytechnical School of Architecture in Milan, where he graduated in 1964. He worked alongside his father, and then in the Louis Khan firm in Philadelphia. His first important realisation was the Italian industry pavillon for the Osaka World's Fair in 1970. In 1971, with Richard Rogers, he won the international competition for the Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris. In 1980, he founded the Renzo Piano Building Workshop, whose three offices in Paris, Genoa, and Berlin count close to one-hundred employees each. Renzo Piano has realised projects in the United States (the museum for the Menil collection in Houston, in 1987), Japan (Kansai airport, 1994), Sweden (the Museum of Modern Art in Varnamö, 1996), Korea (Fila headquarters in Seoul, 1996), the Netherlands (Museum of Sciences and Technologies in Amsterdam, 1997), and New Caledonia (Jean Marie Tjibaou Centre in Nouméa, 1998). Renzo Piano has received prestigious prizes for architecture in Italy and from around the world, in particular : the RIBA Royal Gold Medal (1990), the Neutra Prize in the US (1991), the Premium Imperiale in Japan (1995), and the Pritzker Prize in the US (1998). He was awarded the UIA Auguste Perret Prize with Richard Rogers in 1978. Charles Correa, winner of the UIA 1990 Gold Medal, describes the work of Renzo Piano in these words: “He brings to each project a great seriousness of purpose, combined with a lyrical understanding of materials (and how they might come together) - so that what emerges is an architecture of extraordinary clarity and finesse." |
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| George Pompidou Centre, Paris (France) |
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| Kansai, international airport, Osaka (Japan) |
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| Jean Marie Tjibaou Centre, Nouméa (New Caledonia) |
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| the Pritzker Prize |  |