Anne Lacaton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anne Lacaton
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Anne Lacaton in 2017
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| Born | 2 August 1955 Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière
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| Nationality | French |
| Alma mater | ENSAPBx |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Awards | Pritzker Prize (2021) |
| Practice | Lacaton & Vassal |
| Buildings | Grand Parc Bordeaux |
Anne Lacaton (born 2 August 1955) is a famous French architect and teacher. She runs an architecture firm called Lacaton & Vassal with her partner, Jean-Philippe Vassal. Together, they won the important Pritzker Prize in 2021, which is like the Nobel Prize for architecture!
Contents
About Anne Lacaton
Early Life and Studies
Anne Lacaton was born in a town called Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière in France on August 2, 1955. She studied architecture at the École nationale supérieure d'architecture et de paysage de Bordeaux. Later, she earned a master's degree in city planning from the University of Bordeaux in 1984.
During her studies, she often visited Jean-Philippe Vassal in Niger. He was working there as an architect and city planner. They even built their very first project together: a simple hut made of straw!
Her Architecture Firm
In 1987, Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal started their own architecture firm, Lacaton & Vassal. They first worked from Bordeaux, but later moved their office to Paris in 2000.
Their firm is known for building projects that don't cost too much money. They often mix modern building ideas with clever, unusual techniques. This sometimes surprises traditional building contractors!
Famous Projects
- They helped redesign the Palais de Tokyo, a modern art museum in Paris, which was finished in 2001. They made the old art deco building near the Seine river look new and exciting. This project was even nominated for a big award in 2003.
- In 2005, Lacaton & Vassal worked with another architect, Frédéric Druot. They were chosen to update a 17-story apartment building in Paris called Tour Bois le Prêtre. This building was built in 1957.
- They removed many of the old wall panels. In their place, they added balconies and large sliding windows. This brought much more natural light into the apartments. They also made the apartments bigger and added new plumbing, bathrooms, and electricity. This project was a runner-up for the Design of the Year award in 2013.
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- Their firm has also worked on other important buildings. These include the École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture in Nantes and the FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais art collection project in Dunkirk.
- They also designed a residential building in Cap Ferret.
- One of their most famous projects is the Grand Parc Bordeaux (with Frédéric Druot and Christophe Hutin). This project won the EU Mies 2019 Award for the best modern architecture in Europe!
- Lacaton & Vassal have also worked on projects to make old social housing better. They call this initiative "Plus." It's all about upgrading old apartments from the 1960s into much nicer places to live. They have even written books about this project.
Teaching Architecture
Anne Lacaton has also been a visiting professor at many famous universities around the world. She taught at the Higher Technical School of Architecture of Madrid (from 2007 to 2013) and EPFL (from 2004 to 2018). She also taught at the University of Florida, State University of New York at Buffalo, and Harvard University.
In 2017, she became an Associate Professor of Architecture & Design at ETH Zurich. Her teaching focuses on how architecture can help people and society. She believes that buildings should be useful for the people who use them, not just look fancy. Her designs often encourage people, like residents in a neighborhood, to be part of the building process.
Anne Lacaton was also a judge for The Daylight Award in 2020 and 2022.
Awards
Lacaton & Vassal
- Lauréats des Albums de la Jeune Architecture, France – 1991
- Grand Prix National d'Architecture Jeune Talent, France – 1999
- Erich Schelling Award − 2006
- Fondation Erich Schelling, Karlsruhe Award "Sustainability and Residential Innovation", City of Madrid – 2006
- Royal Institute of British Architects International Fellowship in 2009
- Grand prix national de l'architecture in 2008
- Paris, France Equerre d'Argent Award (with Frederic Druot) – 2011
- Paris Daylight & Building Components Award – 2011
- Design of the year, architecture category (with Frederic Druot) – 2013
- Rolf Schock Prize in the Visual Arts in 2014
- Life Time Achievement – Trienal de Arquitectura de Lisboa – 2016
- Académie de l'Architecture France – Gold Medal – 2016
- Simon Architecture Prize/ Fondation Mies Van der Rohe – The Living Places (with Frederic Druot) – 2016
- Heinrich Tessenow Medal in 2016
- Global Award for Sustainable Architecture (with Frederic Druot) in 2018
- Mies van der Rohe Award in 2019
- Großer BDA Preis (BDA Grand Prize) in 2020 for their life's work
- Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2021
- Soane Medal in 2023
See Also
In Spanish: Anne Lacaton para niños
