Photo: pritzkerprize.comThe architect, educator, and social activist, Diébédo Francis Kéré, 56, was born and raised in Burkina Faso, in a village without electricity or drinking water. Although he later studied in Berlin, where he opened a studio, his homeland in West Africa remains an inexhaustible inspiration for all his contributions to architecture, primarily for the design of many sustainable buildings around the world, from Mali to China.
He has already received numerous awards for his projects, which offer inventive and important solutions to key topics, from sustainable architecture to social action and equity concerns, housing and more, so this year's award for the best architect has definitely gone into the right hands.
“I am hoping to change the paradigm, push people to dream and undergo risk. It is not because you are rich that you should waste material. It is not because you are poor that you should not try to create quality,“ says Kéré. “Everyone deserves quality, everyone deserves luxury, and everyone deserves comfort. We are interlinked and concerns in climate, democracy and scarcity are concerns for us all.“
PHOTO: PRITZKERPRIZE.COM, GANDO PRIMARY SCHOOL
The Pritzker Prize panel praised Kéré’s work for its intelligent use of local materials, site-specific approach, connection with nature and support of marginalised communities.
“Francis Kéré is pioneering architecture – sustainable to the Earth and its inhabitants – in lands of extreme scarcity. He is equally architect and servant, improving upon the lives and experiences of countless citizens in a region of the world that is at times forgotten,“ said Thomas Pritzker, chairman of The Hyatt Foundation, which supports the award. “Through buildings that demonstrate beauty, modesty, boldness and invention, and by the integrity of his architecture and geste, Kéré gracefully upholds the mission of this Prize.“
PHOTO: PRITZKERPRIZE.COM, DOCTORS’ HOUSING IN LÉO, BURKINA FASO
Kéré’s portfolio features globally acclaimed projects – the Tippet Rise Art Center in Montana (USA) and the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London (UK) are among them, while his breakthrough work was possibly the Gando Primary School in his native Burkina Faso, completed in 2008 in close collaboration with the local community. More buildings are underway, among them the Benin National Assembly, a typically nature-inspired design that is also intrinsically linked to local culture.
PHOTO: PRITZKERPRIZE.COM, SERPENTINE GALLERY PAVILION IN LONDON
Pritzker as Nobel Laureate
Every year, the Hyatt Foundation, funded by the Pritzker family, awards the prestigious Pritzker Prize, also known as the Nobel Prize in Architecture. It is considered the most important world award in this field, and is awarded to architects who, in the best way, show a combination of talent, vision, and dedication. The winner is awarded a cash prize of 100,000 dollars, a certificate, and a bronze medal. The winner is announced in the spring, and this year's laureate, Diébédo Francis Kéré, is the first black architect and the first African to win this award.
By: Aleksandra Marković
Photos: Pritzker Prize
