2006 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate
Paulo Mendes da Rocha of Brazil was announced today as the winner of the 2006 Pritzker Prize winner. The 77-year old architect is Brazil's second Pritzker laureate joining Oscar Niemeyer who was honored in 1988.In announcing the jury’s choice, Thomas J. Pritzker, president of The Hyatt Foundation, said:
Mendes da Rocha has shown a deep understanding of space and scale through the great variety of buildings he has designed, from private residences, housing complexes, a church, museums and sports stadia to urban plans for public space. While few of his buildings were realized outside of Brazil, the lessons to be learned from his work, both as a practicing architect and a teacher, are universal.The formal ceremony will be held on May 30, 2006 in Istanbul, Turkey.
Mendes da Rocha began his career in the 1950's and was part of what was then considered the avant-garde in São Paulo, known loosely as creators of the Paulist brutalist architecture. During a career that spans six decades, he has maintained his own practice, taught for many years at the University of São Paulo, and contributed to the professional community through his work as president of the Brazilian Institute for Architects.
Following is a sampling of Mendes da Rocha's work.
Link: The Pritzker Architecture Prize
Link: Paulo Mendes da Rocha Pritzker Prize Photo Book (PDF)
ABOVE: The Guaimbê Residential Building, São Paulo, Brazil, 1964
(Photo by José Moscardi)
The Paulistano Athletic Club
São Paulo, Brazil, 1958
The structure is reinforced concrete with steel cables suspending the metal roof. The arena is in the center of a long rectangular platform that serves as an esplanade.
(Photos by José Moscardi)
Paulo Mendes da Rocha Residence
São Paulo, Brazil, 1960
The architects own home, one of his objectives was to maximize the use of prefabricated and mass-produced reinforced concrete components.
(Photos by Annette Spiro)
Brazilian Pavilion for Expo ‘70
Osaka, Japan, 1969
The Brazilian Pavilion, designed for the 1970 Expo in Osaka, Japan, was an architectural study of the relationship between nature and construction. It consisted of a concrete and glass deck, resting lightly on the altered topography.
(Photo by Fujita Gumi)
The Serra Dourada Stadium
Goiânia, Goiás State, Brazil, 1973
The structure is balanced with a massive roof overhanging 65 feet on each side. Symmetrically placed at either end of the stadium are the enclosed galleries providing offices as well as restaurants and lodgings for visiting athletes.
Photos by Paulo Mendes da Rocha
Forma Store
São Paulo, Brazil, 1987
The building is designed as a billboard displaying products in an elevated showcase window that spans the entire length of the building.
(Photo by Nelson Kon)
Chapel of Saint Peter
Campos de Jordão, SP, Brazil, 1987
The chapel rests on one massive column and the religious spaces flow around it. The limited pallette of different materials - concrete, glass and steel - reinforce the building’s message of strength and simplicity.
Photos by Cristiano Mascaro
Brazilian Museum of Sculpture
São Paulo, Brazil, 1988
Martha Thorne, executive director of the Pritzker Prize, describes the building:
The 75,000-square foot triangular site is located on a main thoroughfare that links the Jardin Europea residential district to the center of the city. Instead of creating a free-standing building resting on the site, the museum and landscape are treated as a whole. Large slabs create partly underground internal spaces and also form the exterior plaza with its pools of water and esplanade. The complexity of the design is realized in simple straightforward forms and the use of plain concrete. The great 97-foot long, 39-foot wide beam frames the museum forming a loggia or porch. It is visible indication of a museum building in dialogue with the city.
Photos by Nelson Kon
Patriarch Plaza and Viaduct do Cha
São Paulo, Brazil, 1992
A large suspended canopy was added in the renovation and restructuring of a public space in the center of São Paulo.
Residence for Mario Masetti
Cava Estate, Cabreuva, SP, Brazil, 1995
Mendes da Rocha has said:
...this house is not a model, but a multifaceted event in the landscape. It is a suite of little surprises.
Congratulations
Brazilian Architecture
Great works
pleasant surprise
not convinced
Average Comment
Congratulations!
da ROCHA
Incrivel
appreciation
Halala!
Great Brazil
FINALMENTE!!!!
Lightness through concrete
Pure
sencillo
nice work
Muito bom!
felicidades
Simplemente Magnifico
ola brazil!
querido paulinho voce e um dos nossos orgulhos!
querido paulinho voce e um dos nossos orgulhos!
great brutalist
waymarking and Google Earth
dario
Transfer...
well done