Renzo Piano, Pritzker Prize-Winning Architect

Born:

September 14, 1937 in Genoa, Italy

Childhood:

Renzo Piano was born into a family of builders. His grandfather, father, four uncles, and brother were contractors. Renzo Piano payed honor to this tradition when he named his architecture firm Renzo Piano Building Workshop.

Training:

• 1959-1964: Studied at the Milan Politecnico, where he taught until 1968
• 1964: Worked in his father's company
• 1965-1970: Worked in offices of Louis I. Kahn in Philadelphia and ZS. Makowski in London

Partnership:

Partnership with English architect Richard Rogers, 1970-1978. Piano and Rogers jointly designed many important buildings in Italy and Europe.

Famous Buildings by Renzo Piano :

• 1977: Centre Pompidou, Paris (with Richard Rogers)
• 1990: San Nicola Stadium, Bari, Italy
• 1990: IRCAM Extension, Institute for Acoustic Research, Paris
• 1991: Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Genoa, Italy
• 1992: Columbus International Exposition, Genoa, Italy
• 1994: Lingotto Factory Conversion, Turin, Italy
• 1994: Kansai Airport Terminal, Osaka, Japan
• 1995: Menil Collection Museum, Houston, Texas
• 1996: Congress Center and Offices, Lyon, France
• 1997: Reconstruction of the Atelier Brancusi, Paris
• 1998: Tjibaou Cultural Centre, Nouméa, New Caledonia
• 2007: New York Times Building
• 2008: California Academy of Sciences

About Renzo Piano:

Renzo Piano is often called a "High-Tech" architect because his designs showcase technological shapes and materials. However, human needs and comfort are at the center of Piano's designs.

Critics note that Piano's work is rooted in the classical traditions of his Italian homeland. Judges for the Pritzker Architecture Prize credited Piano with redefining modern and postmodern architecture.

Renzo Piano is also celebrated for his landmark examples of energy-efficient green design.