David Chipperfield facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Sir David Chipperfield CH CBE RA RDI RIBA
Chipperfield in 2012
Born	(1953-12-18) 18 December 1953 (age 71) London, England
Alma mater	Kingston University Architectural Association School of Architecture
Occupation	Architect
Awards	Pritzker Architecture Prize RIBA Stirling Prize Royal Gold Medal Andrea Palladio Prize Tessenow Gold Medal

Practice	David Chipperfield Architects
Projects	Neues Museum, Berlin (1997–2009) Museum of Modern Literature, Marbach, Germany (2002–2008) America's Cup Building, Valencia, Spain (2005) The Hepworth Wakefield, Wakefield, UK (2003–2011) Turner Contemporary, Margate, UK (2006–2011) Museo Jumex, Mexico (2009–2013)

Sir David Alan Chipperfield (born 18 December 1953) is a famous British architect. He started his own company, David Chipperfield Architects, in 1985. This company grew to have offices all over the world, including London, Berlin, Milan, Shanghai, and Santiago de Compostela.

In 2023, he won the Pritzker Architecture Prize. This is known as the most important award in architecture. Some of his most well-known buildings include the River and Rowing Museum in England, the Museum of Modern Literature in Germany, and the Neues Museum in Berlin. He also designed The Hepworth Wakefield gallery in the UK and the Museo Jumex in Mexico City.

David Chipperfield's Career
Famous Projects by David Chipperfield
David Chipperfield's Style and Ideas
Teaching and Awards
Images for kids
See also

David Chipperfield's Career

David Chipperfield was born in London in 1953. He studied art at Kingston School of Art and then architecture at the Architectural Association in London. After finishing his studies, he worked for other famous architects like Norman Foster and Richard Rogers. In 1985, he decided to open his own firm.

Early in his career, Chipperfield became known for designing cool store interiors. He created shops for brands like Issey Miyake in London, Paris, Tokyo, and New York. His work in Japan led to more projects, including a private museum and a Toyota store. In 1989, his company even opened an office in Tokyo. His first actual building design was a house for photographer Nick Knight in London in 1990.

His first completed projects in London were for the Natural History Museum and the Wagamama restaurant. His first big project in Britain was the River and Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames. He also started building in Germany, designing an office building in Düsseldorf.

In 1997, he began a very important project: rebuilding the Neues Museum in Berlin. This museum had been badly damaged during World War II. After 2000, he designed several other major museums in Germany. He also quickly built a new headquarters for the America's Cup in Valencia, Spain. In the United States, he designed an extension for the Museum of ethnology and natural history in Alaska.

Around 2011, he opened two important museum projects in Britain: the Turner Contemporary in Margate and The Hepworth Wakefield in Wakefield. In 2013, he opened the Jumex Museum in Mexico City. He also worked on a unique project in Sudan, designing a building to protect ancient temple ruins in the desert. This building blends in with the reddish mountains around it.

In 2015, Chipperfield won a competition to redesign part of the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. His first new building in New York City, The Bryant, a tall hotel and apartment building, was finished in 2021.

By 2017, his firm was working on many big projects worldwide. These included new stores for Bally and Valentino, and the reconstruction of the U.S. Embassy in London. He also worked on a project for the Shanghai Expo tower in China and a new building for the Nobel Prize in Stockholm (which was later cancelled). Other projects included the Kunsthaus Zurich in Switzerland and the Amorepacific Headquarters in South Korea.

More recently, Chipperfield has been involved in designing the Arena Santa Giulia in Milan, Italy. This arena will host ice hockey events for the 2026 Winter Olympics. In 2023, he was chosen to design a large underground expansion for the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece. He is also working on a new parliamentary office building in Canada and a headquarters for Rolex in New York City. His first project in the Southern Hemisphere, the Dairy Road development in Canberra, Australia, is planned for 2025.

Famous Projects by David Chipperfield

River and Rowing Museum, Henley-on-Thames, UK (1989–1997)

The River and Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames, UK.

The River and Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames is about rowing, a popular sport in the town. The building mixes modern and traditional styles. It looks like old boat sheds and barns from the area. The museum is built on concrete pillars to avoid floods. Its outside and some inside parts are covered in oak wood, matching local buildings. The roofs are made of stainless steel.

Des Moines Public Library, Iowa, US (2002–2006)

The Des Moines Public Library in Des Moines, Iowa, US.

The Des Moines Public Library in Des Moines, Iowa, United States, is a large, two-story building. It doesn't have a clear front or back; instead, it spreads out into three sections. A glass tunnel lets people walk through the library. Its most special part is the outside walls, which are made of glass panels with copper mesh inside. This mesh blocks most of the sunlight but still lets people see outside.

Museum of Modern Literature, Marbach, Germany (2002–2006)

The Museum of Modern Literature in Marbach, Germany.

The Museum of Modern Literature is in Marbach, Germany, where the poet Schiller was born. It has great views of the Neckar River. Visitors enter at the top and go down to the reading rooms. The inside lighting is artificial to protect old writings. However, each floor has a terrace with views of the countryside. The building won the Stirling Prize in 2007.

America's Cup Building (Veles e Vents), Valencia, Spain (2005–2006)

The America's Cup Building in Valencia, Spain.

David Chipperfield won a competition in 2005 to design a new headquarters for the America's Cup in Valencia, Spain. It was built very quickly, in just eleven months. The building has three levels that stick out far over the terraces below. This creates shade and offers clear views of the sea. The building is mostly white, with white metal ceilings and white floors.

The Neues Museum, Berlin, Germany (1997–2009)

The Neues Museum in Berlin, Germany.

In 1997, Chipperfield began rebuilding the Neues Museum in Berlin. It was badly damaged during World War II. His job was to bring back the museum's original look while adding new parts that fit the old building. New concrete was used for galleries and the main staircase. Recycled bricks were used in other areas. Some of the war damage on the walls was kept to show the building's history. Chipperfield wanted the new parts to show what was lost without just copying it. The building won a European architecture prize in 2011. In 2018, he finished the James Simon Gallery next to it.

The Hepworth Wakefield gallery (2003–2011)

The Hepworth Wakefield in Wakefield, UK.

The Hepworth Wakefield is an art gallery for the sculptor Barbara Hepworth. It is made of ten block-like shapes. Its upper galleries get natural light from large windows in the slanted roofs. These windows offer views of the river and city. The building's outside is covered in a special concrete made on-site. This material was chosen to make the gallery look like a sculpture itself.

City of Justice complex, Barcelona, Spain (2002–2011)

The City of Justice in Barcelona, Spain.

The City of Justice is a group of nine buildings in Barcelona, Spain. It brings together courtrooms and offices that used to be in seventeen different places. The courtrooms are on the ground floor, with offices above. Four of the buildings are connected by a long hallway. The outside of all the buildings looks similar, made of concrete in different shades. Chipperfield wanted the buildings to show that justice isn't always stiff and unmoving.

Turner Contemporary gallery, Margate, UK (2006–2013)

The Turner Contemporary in Margate, Kent, UK.

The Turner Contemporary gallery is next to a beach in Margate, England. It shows art by painter J. M. W. Turner and artists he influenced. The museum has six identical glass galleries connected to each other. Sunlight from the south is softened by special shutters on the ceiling. The buildings are raised on pillars to avoid flooding from the sea. The glass walls are designed to handle the dampness and winds from the ocean.

James Simon Gallery, Berlin, Germany (2007–2018)

The James Simon Gallery in Berlin.

The James Simon Gallery is the last part of a big plan Chipperfield made for Berlin's Museum Island in 1999. It acts as a main entrance for visitors to the island, connecting to other museums like the Pergamon and the Neues Museum. The building's main feature is a long row of seventy tall, thin white concrete columns. The gallery was finished in 2018 and opened in 2019.

David Chipperfield's Style and Ideas

David Chipperfield's buildings don't follow just one style. He often creates buildings that are solid and serious, fitting well with the history and culture of their location. He is interested in how a building will look years later and focuses on quality.

Chipperfield believes that architecture should not be the same everywhere. He thinks buildings should fit the culture of a city. He said that architects should understand why buildings look the way they do in a city. He feels it's wrong for an architect to ignore a city's history and culture and just use an "international style."

For his building called The Bryant in New York City, Chipperfield described its style as "classical elegance." This means it has simple shapes, balanced designs, and a clear order. The building's outside is made of special panels with marble and sandstone chips, giving it a unique reflective color.

Teaching and Awards

David Chipperfield has taught architecture in Europe and the United States. He has also given many lectures. He was a professor at the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart and taught at the Yale School of Architecture. He is also a trustee for the Sir John Soane's Museum in London.

His firm has won over 100 architecture and design awards. These include the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2007 for the Museum of Modern Literature and the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture in 2011 for the Neues Museum.

Chipperfield has received many honors for his work. He is a member of the Royal Academy of Arts and received a knighthood for his services to architecture. In 2013, he received the Praemium Imperiale from Japan. He was also made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2004.

In 2009, he received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, which is a very high honor in Germany. He was knighted in 2010 for his contributions to architecture in the UK and Germany. In 2011, he received the Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects. In 2021, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour.

In 2012, Chipperfield was the first British architect to lead the Venice Biennale of Architecture. This event focused on how architects work together. In 2023, he won the prestigious Pritzker Prize.