Architects - Anne Lacaton and Jean-Hilippe Vassal

Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philipe Vassal are the Pritzker Architecture Prize laureates for 2021.

Lacaton and Vassal met at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecure in the 70s. Subsequently, Lacaton pursued her studies, and Vassal went to Niger. Lacaton would visit Niger regularly, and there, they did their first international project together, a staw hut.

In 1987 they established Lacaton & Vassal, initially based in Bordeaux the firm subsequently moved to Paris.

Their approach to architecture is to restore rather than demolish; doing so in the most economical, eco-friendly manner possible, honouring the pre-exising. Their use of modest material allows for larger affordable spaces.

Pritzker Prize Jury Citation: “The work of Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal reflects architecture’s democratic spirit. Through their ideas, approach to the profession, and the resulting buildings, they have proven that a commitment to a restorative architecture that is at once technological, innovative, and ecologically responsive can be pursued without nostalgia. This is the mantra of the team of Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal since founding their Paris-based firm in 1987. Not only have they defined an architectural approach that renews the legacy of modernism, but they have also proposed an adjusted definition of the very profession of architecture. The modernist hopes and dreams to improve the lives of many are reinvigorated through their work that responds to the climatic and ecological emergencies of our time, as well as social urgencies, particularly in the realm of urban housing. They accomplish this through a powerful sense of space and materials that creates architecture as strong in its forms as in its convictions, as transparent in its aesthetic as in its ethics. At once beautiful and pragmatic, they refuse any opposition between architectural quality, environmental responsibility, and the quest for an ethical society.”

Latapie House
1993, Floirac, France