Last week, when French architect Dominique Perrault was award the Praemium Imperiale — often considered one of the most important art prizes in the world — he joined some seriously prestigious company.
The 2015 winner joins a long list of globally renowned names to have received the award including Frank Gehry (1992), Rem Koolhaas (2001), Peter Zumthor (2008), and Zaha Hadid (2009). The imperial family of Japan has also recognized many of their own over the last two and a half decades, Kenzo Tange (1993), Tadao Ando (1996), and Toyo Ito (2010) also picking up the prize.
Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
Perrault’s expansive portfolio has spanned many geographic locations and architectural typologies over the past two decades, with stand out projects including the vast, green-roofed Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea, showcasing the architect’s penchant for the creation of “buried, excavated, nestled places”. Completed in 2008, a manmade valley of black asphalt was carved into natural parkland, culminating in a grand staircase that doubles up as an open-air amphitheater.
NH Fiera Milano, Milan, Italy
Rendering of the Grand Théâtre d’Albi, Albi, France
In the commercial sphere, Perrault designed two dramatically inclined volumes for the NH Fiera Milano mixed-use development, juxtaposing obsidian and gold cladding to create a striking new landmark in the northwest of Milan. Then, in the cultural realm, the Grand Théâtre d’Albi was wrapped with a sculptural steel mesh, evoking a theater’s drop curtain that takes on a lantern-like quality by night.
Velodrome and Olympic Swimming Pool, Berlin, Germany
Looking further back, Perrault’s most notable projects also extend to the sporting arena: the Velodrome and Olympic Swimming Pool in Berlin, Germany, were completed in 1999. The seminal project is particularly notable for its striking roof plan and a subterranean approach that upended the conventions of stadium design, as Perrault himself noted:
“The buildings which will house the velodrome and the Olympic Swimming Pool vanish from sight. The question of the form being thus resolved, done away with; the project was able to deal with other issues.”
Explore more projects by Dominique Perrault Architects — including built work, drawings, sketches, and renderings — over on the French studio’s extensive firm profile.