David Chipperfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir
David Chipperfield
|
|
|---|---|
Chipperfield in 2012
|
|
| Born | 18 December 1953 London, England
|
| Alma mater | Kingston University Architectural Association School of Architecture |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Awards |
|
| Practice | David Chipperfield Architects |
| Projects |
|
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, and Shanghai.
In 2023, he won the Pritzker Architecture Prize. This is known as the most important award in architecture. Some of his well-known buildings include the River and Rowing Museum in England and the Neues Museum in Berlin, Germany. He also designed the Museo Jumex in Mexico City.
Contents
- David Chipperfield's Career Journey
- Key Projects (1997–2010)
- Key Projects (2011–Present)
- The Hepworth Wakefield Gallery (2003–2011)
- City of Justice Complex, Barcelona, Spain (2002–2011)
- Saint Louis Art Museum Expansion, Missouri, US (2005–2013)
- Turner Contemporary Gallery, Margate, UK (2006–2013)
- Museo Jumex, Mexico City, Mexico (2009–2013)
- James Simon Gallery, Berlin, Germany (2007–2018)
- Chipperfield's Style and Ideas
- Teaching and Other Roles
- Selected Buildings
- Awards and Honors
- See also
David Chipperfield's Career Journey
Chipperfield was born in London in 1953. He finished his art studies in London in 1976. He then studied architecture at the Architectural Association in London, getting his diploma in 1977. Before starting his own firm in 1985, he worked for other famous architects like Norman Foster. When he was young, Chipperfield supported architects who designed buildings that fit well with their surroundings.
Early Projects and International Growth
He first became known for designing cool store interiors. These were in big cities like London, Paris, Tokyo, and New York. His work in Japan led to designing a private museum and a store for Toyota. His company opened an office in Tokyo in 1989. 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. He also designed the Wagamama restaurant there. 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.
Major Museum and Public Buildings
In 1997, he started a very important project. This was the rebuilding of the Neues Museum in Berlin. It had been badly damaged during World War II. After 2000, he designed several other big museums in Germany. These included the Museum of Modern Literature in Marbach.
Around the same time, he quickly built a new headquarters for the America's Cup in Valencia, Spain. He also created a huge court complex in Barcelona, Spain. This complex brought many different offices into nine large concrete buildings. His first project in the United States was an addition to the Anchorage Museum in Alaska.
Until 2011, most of his big projects were in Europe. But in 2011, he opened two important museums in Britain. These were the Turner Contemporary in Margate and The Hepworth Wakefield in Wakefield. In 2013, he opened the Jumex Museum in Mexico City. He also completed an expansion of the Saint Louis Art Museum in the United States. One of his most distant projects was the Museum of Naga in Sudan. He designed it to protect ancient temples and a well.
In 2015, Chipperfield won a contest 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.
Recent and Ongoing Work
By 2017, his firm was working on many big projects worldwide. These included new stores for Bally and Valentino. He also worked on the reconstruction of the U.S. Embassy in London. Other projects included an office complex in London and a new Nobel Center in Stockholm (which was later canceled). He also designed the extension for Kunsthaus Zürich in Switzerland.
Working with Arup, Chipperfield designed the Arena Santa Giulia in Milan, Italy. This arena will host ice hockey events for the 2026 Winter Olympics and 2026 Winter Paralympics. In January 2023, the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece chose Chipperfield to design a large underground expansion. As of 2025, he is also working on a new parliamentary office building in Ottawa, Canada. He is also designing an American headquarters for Rolex in New York City.
His first project in the Southern Hemisphere is planned for 2025. He is working with Molonglo Group to design the Dairy Road development in Canberra, Australia.
Key Projects (1997–2010)
River and Rowing Museum, Henley-on-Thames, UK (1989–1997)
The River and Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames is about rowing sports. The town is famous for its annual Royal Regatta. The building mixes modern and traditional styles. It looks like old boat sheds and barns from the area. The building is lifted on concrete pillars to avoid floods. Its outside and some inside parts are covered in oak wood. This helps it blend with the local buildings.
Des Moines Public Library, Des Moines, Iowa, US (2002–2006)
The Des Moines Public Library in Des Moines, Iowa, is a large building. It cost $32.3 million to build. The two-story building spreads out into three sections. A glass tunnel lets people walk through the library. Its most special part is its outside walls. These are glass panels with copper mesh inside. The mesh blocks most sunlight but still lets people see outside. Chipperfield said the building was designed to be "neutral and amorphous."
Museum of Modern Literature, Marbach, Germany (2002–2006)
The Museum of Modern Literature is in Marbach, Germany. This town is where the poet Schiller was born. The museum has great views of the Neckar River. It is next to an older museum and a modern literary archive building. Visitors enter from the top floor and go down to the reading rooms. The inside lighting is artificial to protect old writings. But each floor has a terrace with countryside views. The building won the Stirling Prize in 2007.
America's Cup Building (Veles e Vents), Valencia, Spain (2005–2006)
Chipperfield won a contest in 2005 to build a new headquarters for the America's Cup. This was in Valencia, Spain. It was finished very quickly, in just eleven months. The building has three levels that hang over the terrace below. This creates shade and clear views of the sea. The main color inside and out is white.
The Neues Museum, Berlin, Germany (1997–2009)
_(6098967815).jpg)
In 1997, Chipperfield won a competition to rebuild the Neues Museum in Berlin. It was badly damaged in World War II. His job was to bring back the museum's original look. He restored old parts and added new ones that fit the historic building. New parts used reinforced concrete. Recycled bricks were used in other areas. Some war damage on the walls was kept. This showed the building's history. Chipperfield said the new parts would show what was lost without copying it. The building won a European architecture prize in 2011. In 2018, he finished the nearby James Simon Gallery.
Key Projects (2011–Present)
The Hepworth Wakefield Gallery (2003–2011)
The Hepworth Wakefield is an art gallery. It shows the work of sculptor Barbara Hepworth. The building has ten trapezoid-shaped blocks. Its upper galleries get natural light from large windows in the roofs. The windows offer views of the river and city. The building's outside is made of special concrete. This concrete was made on-site and helps the gallery look like a sculpture.
City of Justice Complex, Barcelona, Spain (2002–2011)
The City of Justice is a group of nine buildings. It brings together courtrooms and offices that were once in seventeen different places. The courtrooms are on the ground floor, with offices above. Four buildings are connected by a hallway. The complex also has shops and housing. The buildings all have the same concrete outside walls. Chipperfield wanted the building to show justice as less strict.
Saint Louis Art Museum Expansion, Missouri, US (2005–2013)
The Saint Louis Art Museum project in Saint Louis, Missouri, involved adding a new wing. This wing connects to an old, famous building from 1904. Chipperfield's new building fits well with the classic one. Its ground floor is at the same level as the old building's main floor. The walls are dark concrete, polished in place. The roof is designed to change how light enters the galleries. To make the outside special, Chipperfield added small pieces of sandstone to the concrete walls. This sandstone was the same kind used in the old building.
Turner Contemporary Gallery, Margate, UK (2006–2013)
The Turner Contemporary gallery is next to a beach in Margate, England. It shows works by painter J. M. W. Turner and artists he influenced. The museum has six identical glass galleries that are connected. Sunlight from the south is softened by special ceiling shutters. The buildings are raised on tall supports to avoid flooding from the sea. The glass outside walls are made to resist the dampness and winds from the ocean.
Museo Jumex, Mexico City, Mexico (2009–2013)
The Museo Jumex in Mexico City shows one of Mexico's largest private art collections. It is in a modern part of the city, near a theater and another museum. Because of building rules, Chipperfield put the museum's offices, shop, and library in other buildings nearby. This allowed the museum building to be mostly for exhibits. The upper galleries get natural light from skylights on the roof. The building stands on fourteen columns. It is made of concrete covered with travertine limestone from Xalapa. The large windows on the lower floors have stainless steel frames.
James Simon Gallery, Berlin, Germany (2007–2018)
The James Simon Gallery was the last part of a big plan Chipperfield had for Berlin's Museum Island. It acts as a main entrance for visitors to the island. It connects to other museums like the Pergamon Museum and the Neues Museum. Chipperfield had finished restoring the Neues Museum in 2009. The gallery's main feature is a row of seventy tall, thin columns made of white concrete. The gallery was finished in 2018 and opened in 2019.
Chipperfield's Style and Ideas
Chipperfield's buildings don't follow just one style. His work is sometimes seen as different from the flashier designs of architects like Frank Gehry. In 2005, he said he wants to make buildings that people like. He also tries to push boundaries to make something familiar but new.
An architecture critic described his work as "serious, solid, not flamboyant or radical." This means his buildings are strong and fit well with their surroundings. Chipperfield cares about how a building will look years later. He believes in dignity, seriousness, and memory in his designs. He said the quality of building the Neues Museum was amazing. He felt the idea wouldn't have been as good without that quality.
In a 2014 interview, Chipperfield said architects shouldn't limit themselves to one style or material. He believes they must respond to each project's unique situation. He also said that architecture can't be "globalized." This is because it changes depending on a city's culture. He thinks it's wrong for an architect to ignore a city's history and culture. He compared it to having no variety in food.
Chipperfield described his recent residential tower, The Bryant in New York City, as having "classical elegance." This means it has simple shapes, balance, and order. A reporter noted that Chipperfield is known for buildings with a clean, simple beauty. He doesn't try to shock people with wild shapes. The building's outside is made of special panels with marble and sandstone chips. This gives it a unique reflective color.
In 2025, Chipperfield was one of many UK designers who signed a letter. They asked the government to rethink plans about using copyrighted works to train artificial intelligence.
Teaching and Other Roles
Chipperfield has taught architecture in Europe and the United States. He has given many lectures. He was a professor at the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart from 1995 to 2001. He also held special teaching positions at the Escola Técnica in Barcelona and the Yale School of Architecture. He is a visiting professor at the University of the Arts London. He is also a trustee for the Sir John Soane's Museum in London.
Selected Buildings
Completed Buildings in the UK (Selection)
- River and Rowing Museum, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, UK (1989–1997)
- BBC Pacific Quay, Glasgow, UK (2001–2007)
- Turner Contemporary, Margate, Kent, UK (2011)
- The Hepworth Wakefield, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, UK (2011)
- One Pancras Square, London (2008–2013)
- Valentino, flagship store, London (2016)
- Royal Academy of Arts Masterplan, London, UK (2008–2024)
Completed Buildings Outside the UK (Selection)
- Toyota Auto Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan (1989–1990)
- Figge Art Museum, Davenport, Iowa, US (1999–2005)
- Museum of Cultures (MUDEC), Milan, Italy (2000–2015)
- Des Moines Public Library, Iowa, US (2002–2006)
- Museum of Modern Literature, Germany (2002–2006)
- America's Cup Building, Valencia, Spain (2005–2006)
- Liangzhu Culture Museum, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China (2007)
- Neues Museum, Museum Island Berlin (1997–2009)
- City of Justice, Barcelona (2002–2011)
- Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri, US (2005–2013)
- Museo Jumex, Mexico City (2009–2013)
- Valentino, flagship store, New York (2014)
- Amorepacific Headquarters, Seoul, South Korea (2010–2017)
- The Bryant, New York, United States of America (2013–2018)
- James Simon Gallery, Berlin, Germany (2007–2019)
- West Bund Museum, Shanghai, China (2017-2019)
- Kunsthaus Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland (2008–2020)
- Neue Nationalgalerie (renovation), Berlin, Germany, (2012–2020)
Ongoing Work (Selection)
- Conversion of the former Embassy of the United States, London, England (2016–present)
- Rolex Building, New York City, United States (2019-present)
- Elbtower, Hamburg, Germany (2021-present)
- National Archaeological Museum (renovation), Athens, Greece, (2023-present)
Awards and Honors
Chipperfield's projects have won over 100 architecture and design awards. These include the 2007 RIBA Stirling Prize for the Museum of Modern Literature, Marbach. He also received the 2011 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture for the Neues Museum.
Chipperfield has received many honors for his work. He is a member of the Royal Academy of Arts. He also received an award from Germany, the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. He was knighted for his contributions to architecture. In 2013, he received the Praemium Imperiale from Japan.
In 1999, Chipperfield was given the Tessenow Gold Medal. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2004 for his services to architecture. In 2009, he received Germany's highest honor for individuals. He was knighted in 2010 for his work in the UK and Germany. He won the Wolf Prize in Arts in 2010. 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 (CH) for his service to architecture.
An exhibition called Form Matters looked back at Chipperfield's career in 2009. His ceramic designs for Alessi won an award in 2011. His folding chair, Piana, is now part of the permanent collection at MoMA.
In 2012, Chipperfield was the first British architect to lead the Venice Biennale of Architecture. This event, called 'Common Ground', focused on how architects work together.
Other honors include:
- 1999: Heinrich Tessenow Medal in Gold
- 2004: Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
- 2006: Royal Designer for Industry (RDI)
- 2007: Royal Academician (RA)
- 2007: Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize for the Museum of Modern Literature
- 2009: Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- 2010: Knighthood
- 2011: Royal Institute of British Architects Royal Gold Medal
- 2011: European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture for the reconstruction of the Neues Museum
- 2013: Praemium Imperiale for Architecture
- 2017: Honorary Member of the Royal Scottish Academy (HRSA)
- 2021: Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH)
- 2023: Pritzker Prize
See also
In Spanish: David Chipperfield para niños
