Elizabeth de Portzamparc facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elizabeth de Portzamparc
Born	Elizabeth Jardim Neves Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Nationality	French / Brazilian
Occupation	Architect

Elizabeth de Portzamparc is a famous architect from France and Brazil. She designs many different kinds of buildings and spaces, from museums and train stations to homes and city plans.

About Elizabeth de Portzamparc

Elizabeth de Portzamparc was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. From a young age, she loved art. Her father, who was also very interested in architecture, often took her to the Pampulha Art Museum. He would talk about the amazing architect Oscar Niemeyer.

When she was young, Elizabeth started practicing conceptual art. This is a type of art where the idea behind the artwork is more important than the finished product. She studied at several schools in Brazil. Later, she moved to France.

In France, Elizabeth studied different subjects like anthropology (the study of human societies) and urban sociology (the study of cities and how people live in them). She focused on how cities are planned and built. She worked on ideas for "neighbourhoods" and "sub-neighbourhoods." This helped bring ideas of "local life" and community connections into city planning.

In 1980, she became qualified to teach architecture in France. She taught at a famous architecture school in Paris from 1984 to 1988. Elizabeth also worked on projects for the French government. One project helped create the first plan for a green area in South Paris, called the "Coulée verte."

In 1985, Elizabeth designed a special desk called the "24 hours" desk. It was shown at art fairs and was even bought by the Fonds national d'art contemporain, which collects modern art for France.

In 1986, she opened her own art gallery in Paris called Mostra. She worked with many famous artists and architects. Through themed exhibitions, she showed how different creative fields worked. This made her gallery very popular and well-known. In 1987, she started her own architecture company.

Elizabeth's Amazing Projects

Designing Important Buildings

In 1989, Elizabeth de Portzamparc won a competition to design the Information Center for the French National Assembly. This is like the parliament building in France.

In 1992, she won another competition to design the National Museum of Korea. For this museum, she created a special "urban path" inside. It was like walking through a city, with indoor streets that connected to outdoor public spaces and led through the exhibition rooms.

In 1995, she designed the Museum of Brittany in France. She also created a library, open indoor squares, and spaces just for kids. Elizabeth said this project showed her unique style. She used ideas from city layouts to make "urban spaces" inside the museum. For example, parts of the museum looked like buildings and public squares. Other parts were like a street. The exhibits about the two world wars were in a tunnel, showing the dark times. The modern history section was an open, interactive area.

In 1997, Elizabeth won a contest to design the stations and furniture for the tramway network in Bordeaux, France. She wanted the stations to feel like public squares in the city. She focused on making them transparent, well-lit, and fast. Her goal was to give the city a special identity through these designs.

Her other big projects include the Musée de la Romanité in Nîmes, a large library at the Condorcet Campus in Aubervilliers, and the Le Bourget railway station near Paris.

Major Architecture and City Planning Works

Elizabeth de Portzamparc has worked on many large-scale projects.

Architecture Projects

• Oasis bioclimatic tower, Rabat (a very tall building design)
• Anfa hotel, Casablanca
• Grand Documentary Equipment of the Condorcet Campus, Aubervilliers, France (a large library)
• Le Bourget railway station, France (for the Paris metro)
• Musée de la Romanité of Nîmes, France (a museum about Roman history)
• Housing in Versailles-Chantiers, France (new homes)
• Tower of La Noue, Bagnolet, France (a tall building for different uses)
• 4-star hotel tower, Casablanca, Morocco
• French Cultural Center in Florianopolis, Brazil (with a theater and library)
• Bassins à Flot, Bordeaux, France (buildings with homes and shops)
• Riocentro exhibition center, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (a large exhibition hall)

Urban Planning Projects

• Restructuring of Pointe de Trivaux neighborhood, Meudon-la-Forêt, France (new homes, shops, and services)
• Eco-neighborhood project in Châtenay-Malabry, France (a new environmentally friendly neighborhood)
• New city center of Massy, France (new homes and mixed-use buildings)
• Bordeaux Tramway: 145 stations and their street furniture

Regional and Coastal Planning

• Qinhuangdao peninsula, China (planning for a new city area by the sea)
• EuroCalais, France (planning for the coast between Calais and Wissant)
• Dolphin's resort, Natal, Brazil (designing an eco-resort)
• Territorial development of Mahdia's coast, Tunisia (creating an island and harbor)
• Buljarica Coastal Development, Montenegro (sustainable planning for the coast)
• Offshore extension in Monaco (designing new land on the sea)

Museum Design (Museography)

• Musée de la Romanité of Nîmes, France
• Jean Cocteau Museum, Menton, France
• Museum of Brittany, Rennes, France
• Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, USA
• National Museum of Korea, Seoul

Interior Design

• Headquarters of the Banque Fédérale des Banques Populaires Group, Paris, France
• Headquarters of the Journal Le Monde, Paris, France
• Les Grandes Marches restaurant, Paris, France
• Canal+ Headquarters, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
• French Embassy in Berlin, Germany
• Café de la Musique restaurant, Paris, France

Product Design

• "Volux" lamp
• "Hestia" and "Moon Torch" streetlights
• "Opéra" chair
• "Zache 2" and "Zache 2 osier" armchairs
• "Dune" chairs
• "Jazz" coat hangers (now in a national art collection)
• "24 hours" desk (also in a national art collection)

Research and Studies

Elizabeth de Portzamparc also does a lot of research. She studies the "identity of places" and how local communities connect. These ideas are very important for building cities today. She has also designed ideas for homes that are:

• Sustainable (good for the environment)
• Flexible (can be used in different ways)
• Mixed-use (for living and working)
• Prefabricated (built in parts and put together quickly)
• Low cost and fast to build

Since 2004, she has been working on designing homes for people who are homeless or need help finding a place to live.

Awards and Recognitions

Elizabeth de Portzamparc has received many awards for her work:

• 2016: The Musée de la Romanité of Nîmes won the "Future Heritage Award."
• 2014: She received a medal from the French Senate for her work.
• Since 2012: She has been a member of the Scientific Council of the Atelier International du Grand Paris.
• 22005: Mipim design award for her work on the Journal Le Monde building.
• 2002: "Lighting Design Award" for her streetlight design, HESTIA.
• 2002: International Prize for the Brasserie "Les Grandes Marches" restaurant.
• 1999: International Prize for Interior Design and Architecture.

Main Events and Publications

Elizabeth de Portzamparc often gives lectures and takes part in exhibitions. She has spoken about topics like "Architecture and visions of the world" and "Urban identity." She has also contributed to many books and magazines about architecture and urban planning.

Images for kids

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  Portrait of Elizabeth de Portzamparc

See also

In Spanish: Elizabeth de Portzamparc para niños