Ruth Peltason - Architect: The Pritzker Prize Laureates in Their Own Words

WHAT SURPRISES ME MOST IN ARCHITECTURE, AS IN OTHER TECHNIQUES, IS THAT A PROJECT HAS ONE LIFE IN ITS BUILT STATE BUT ANOTHER IN ITS WRITTEN OR DRAWN STATE.

Celebrating 40 years of recognizing outstanding architecture around the world, the Pritzker Prize is perhaps the most revered, talked about, and anticipated independent architecture award granted each year. After four decades, its position is well established, even if the jurys decisions have, at times, caused surprise. This anniversary publication, which allows a close-up understanding of the laureates through their own writings and words, as well as carefully selected images of their buildings, is a window to the most important thinkers and makers of architecture of our time.

The Pritzker Architecture Prize was established by the Hyatt Foundation in 1979 to annually honor a living architect or architects whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision, and commitment that has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture. The prize takes its name from the Pritzker family, whose international business interests are headquartered in Chicago. The Pritzkers have long been known for their support of educational, scientific, medical, and cultural activities. Jay A. Pritzker (19221999) founded the prize with his wife, Cindy. His eldest son, Thomas J. Pritzker, the chairman of The Hyatt Foundation, and wife, Margot Pritzker, are currently the most active patrons of the prize. While their roles never intersect with the nominations and selection processes, they choose the venue for the ceremony and maintain the stability and vision of the prize over time. Tom Pritzker explains, As native Chicagoans, its not surprising that our family was keenly aware of architecture, living in the birthplace of the skyscraper, a city filled with buildings designed by architectural legends such as Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, and many others.

The granting of prizes for significant accomplishments in the arts and sciences is not new. Academies have a long tradition of rewarding excellence by inducting outstanding professionals into their ranks and granting awards and medals for special purposes. All awards seek to honor and recognize achievement. Some may also try to set standards, either clearly stated or simply implied. Without a doubt, however, some awards are more distinguished and valued than others are. The Pritzker Architecture Prize is often known as the Nobel Prize of Architecture, and each year the name of the new laureate is eagerly awaited by allarchitects, students, critics, journalists, and the general public. Several factors contribute to the strength, longevity, and prestige of this award. The Pritzker Prize began with a clear and ambitious mission. The Pritzker family, patrons of the arts and attuned to architecture through their business interests, established the award to honor living architects from around the world who have contributed in a significant way to the built environment. They realized that architecture was one of the few areas that was not sufficiently acknowledged or widely discussed, in contrast with other arts. Therefore, it is possible to identify three main goals of the Prize: to recognize excellence; raise public awareness about the field; and encourage other architects to achieve high standards.

Unlike many other architecture awards, the Pritzker Architecture Prize is truly independent. It is not part of nor controlled by any professional association, school, or company. The jury is comprised of independent experts and ranges in size from five to nine members. Members serve for multiple years, with a minimum three-year term, which assures a balance between past and new members. No members of the Pritzker family or outside observers are present at or participate in jury deliberations, which usually take place during the first months of the calendar year. The jury members, who are solely responsible for selecting the laureate, are highly respected professionals in their own specific fields of architecture, business, education, publishing, and culture. Some of the guidelines for the prize were loosely modeled after the Nobel Prize procedures, such as its international nature, open nominations process, independent jury, generous purse (US $100,000), and a ceremony and medal to honor the new laureate each year. The nominations procedure is extremely straightforward. Each year, the Executive Director requests suggestions from more than 200 people who are knowledgeable about architecture, such as critics, architects, past laureates, museum directors, academics, business professionals, and others. Additionally, any licensed architect from any place in the world may send in a suggestion for the prize. In this day of easy and fast communication, a name simply e-mailed to the Executive Director constitutes a nomination. There are no forms to fill out or portfolios to submit. The Pritzker Prize organization assumes research on potential candidates. The Pritzker Jury also travels together each year to look at examples of contemporary architecture. This is, without a doubt, a distinguishing and significant feature of the Pritzker process. Site visits to experience buildings firsthand enable the jury to analyze real works within their contexts and to make informed decisions based on direct observation.