March 7 (UPI) — Sir David Chipperfield, architect of famous sites such as the City of Justice in Barcelona and the Colección Jumex in Mexico City, has been named the 2023 Pritzker Architecture Prize winner.
Chipperfield’s selected works included Britain’s River and Rowing Museum and BBC Headquarters in the United Kingdom, the America’s Cup Building in Spain and the Neues Museum in Berlin. Pritzker Prize organizers described his works as “subtle, yet powerful, subdued yet elegant.”
“I am so overwhelmed to receive this extraordinary honor and to be associated with the previous recipients who have all given so much inspiration to the profession,” Chipperfield said in a statement.
“I take this award as an encouragement to continue to direct my attention not only to the substance of architecture and its meaning but also to the contribution that we can make as architects to address the existential challenges of climate change and societal inequality.”
Chipperfield is known for his climate-conscious approach to design. In his acceptance statement, he said architects have a responsibility to build a more sustainable world and must be “more engaged” to help “inspire the next generation.”
“Architecture is something which can intensify and support and help our rituals and our lives,” Chipperfield said. “The experiences in life that I gravitate toward and enjoy most are when normal things have been made special as opposed to where everything is about the special.”
The Pritzker Architecture Prize is one of the most prestigious awards in the architecture industry. It is awarded to living architects to honor significant achievements. It includes a $100,000 prize and bronze medallion. The award ceremony typically takes place in May.