For over 30 years, the Pritzker Prize has awarded some of the most inspirational and accomplished architects on the planet, and it has long helped to shape public discussion about current trends and ideas in architecture. Recent years have been no exception; in 2014, for example, the jury's citation of Shigeru Ban's humanitarian work sparked a heated discussion about the social duties of architects.
However, just as the selection by the Pritzker jury can shape public debate, it is also influenced by public opinion. So with the announcement of the 2016 Pritzker Prize winner due on Wednesday, last month we asked our readers to give us an insight into which architects they feel should be in the running. Through a poll and the comments on the post, they let us know who they think is deserving of architecture's biggest prize.
Our Poll Results
Of course, the headline of the post is the results of our poll. We offered up 24 names of people who we thought had a good shot at the prize, and ran the poll simultaneously on ArchDaily, ArchDaily Brasil and all of our Spanish-language sites. As a result, our readers gave us an insight not only into which architects the wider architectural community believes should win, but also how those opinions vary throughout the world. So without further ado, here are the results we received:
Our Readers' Suggestions
Of course, ArchDaily editors aren't all-seeing, so in addition to our 24 suggestions, our readers offered up plenty more names of individuals that could be in the discussion:
- Aires Mateus
- Ricardo Bofill
- Alberto Campo Baeza
- Joao Luis Carrilho Da Graça
- Craig Dykers (Snøhetta)
- Peter Eisenman
- Sean Godsell
- Nicholas Grimshaw
- Thomas Heatherwick
- Bijoy Jain (Studio Mumbai)
- Lacaton & Vassal
- Ricardo Legorreta
- Vo Trong Nghia
- O'Donnell + Tuomey
- Valerio Olgiati
- Dominique Perrault
Discussing Potential Candidates
Finally, the post sparked much discussion on the merits of various architects. Here's why our readers thought some architects should (or shouldn't) be in the discussion:
Steven Holl
Reflecting the result of the vote, some people had only good things to say about Steven Holl:
"Holl should have already won the award a decade ago. From Simmons Hall M.I.T to St Ignatius to The Nelson Atkins to the new addition Glasgow... he has been a consistent example of light, space, and transformative design at the forefront of exceptional architecture. The depth of the portfolio speaks for itself." - AD Reader "Truth"
"We have to remember that the Pritzker Prize is a life time achievement award. So gotta be at least 50 to be considered. I would like to see Steven Holl, or Robert Stern receiving it, both for their build work and for their academic involvement. Hack! maybe even Peter Eisenman before its too late." - Jason
Bjarke Ingels
Another architect who did well in the vote was much less successful than Holl when it came to the comments section, as it seems that many commenters had a problem with Bjarke Ingels:
"If Bjarke wins I'm quitting architecture." - Scott Smith
"He is a fraud. He produces renderings, not spaces." - Marsellus W.
César Pelli
Finally, a very interesting and heated debate broke out about the strength of César Pelli's portfolio:
"Nobody on the list has had any more impact on modern architecture in the last 30+ years than César Pelli - through teaching and design he melds art with functionality which make his environments ideal for humans. Design art without functionality is sculpture to me, not architecture. Mr. Pelli is an architect's architect." - Loren Cosby
"Why are so many people voting Pelli? There's barely any "art" in his buildings... well not any more so than 15+ other high end corporate firms like Aedas, KPF, etc. His buildings are GOOD and high tech, but not breaking through boundaries and cutting edge." - abc def
"Pelli makes spaces for people. Why should he be penalized because he's popular. Is this strictly an art house award? How about individuals who've had impact on the profession - Yale University Dean, Pritzker jurist, in-demand. Look at his early career too. I have nothing against the others. I just think it's time Mr. Pelli gets the recognition he deserves." - Loren Cosby
"Pelli makes boring stuff a little less boring than a straight up and down tower. He shouldn't get the Pritzker Prize. He should get a prize for securing the biggest commissions and building many large towers... probably given to him by a developer association." - abc def
"In any case the prize should go to Pelli's brother Victor... his impact has been a lot more human then his corporate brother." - Leo Morel
