French architect Jean Nouvel designs flamboyant and colorful buildings that defy classification.
Born:
August 12, 1945 in Fumel, Lot-et-Garonne, France
Education:
École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France
Selected Buildings:
- 1987: Arab World Institute, Paris, France
- 1994: Renovation of the Nouvel Opéra, Lyon, France
- 1994: Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art, Paris, France
- 2005: Agbar Tower, Barcelona, Spain
- 2006: Musée du quai Branly, Paris, France
- 2006: Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- 2007: 40 Mercer Street Residences, New York City
- In Progress: Tour de Verre, New York City
Selected Awards:
- 1993: Honorary fellow of the American Institute of Architects
- 1995: Honorary fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects
- 1997: Named Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
- 2008: Pritzker Architecture Prize
Quotes:
- "I am a hedonist, and I want to give pleasure to other people."
New York Times, April 6, 2008
About Jean Nouvel:
As a teenager, Jean Nouvel wanted to be an artist, and his unconventional buildings suggest the flamboyance of a painter. Taking cues from the environment, Nouvel places an emphasis on light and shadow. Color and transparency are important parts of the design. Upon awarding Jean Nouvel the Pritzker Architecture Prize for 2008, the judges noted that his works demonstrate "persistence, imagination, exuberance, and, above all, an insatiable urge for creative experimentation."
Is Jean Nouvel a modernist? A postmodernist? For most critics, the inventive architect defies classification.
