my lux book
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Prestigious honour
from Pritzker The Pritzker Architecture Prize is often referred to as one of the highest honours bestowed upon an architect. Established by the Hyatt foundation, many of the laureates continue to influence the group’s hotels to this day.
This year the Pritzker Prize was awarded for the 38th time. Ini-
Where do you get your inspiration for a project?
tiated by the founder of the Hyatt group, the American Jay A.
Mayne: Initially we verbalise the client’s problem and try to
Pritzker, it ranks among the most prestigious awards world-
get to the bottom of all important background details on the
wide. It honours architects, whose work reveals exceptional
building. In architecture you interpret ideas in the physical
talent, true vision and absolute commitment. Tadao Ando from
space and you ask a lot of questions. I try to free myself from
Japan and Thom Mayne from America received the award in
all conventions and to consistently create something new.
1995 and 2005 respectively, and both remain closely linked to the Hyatt brand to this day.
What is the essence of your buildings, your architectural works and aesthetics, Tadao Ando?
Architect –Childhood dream or a passion that revealed it-
Ando: It is the relationship between nature, light and shade as
self later in life?
well as geometry and the demands of society.
Mayne: As a child, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I was not an academic and I was more interested in things, which I could cre-
How important is functionality in architecture?
ate with my hands. Nevertheless, I took part in an architecture
Mayne: Architecture adapts to conform to functionality, al-
competition and won it. As a result, I enrolled at an art school
though these days we would talk about performance. In con-
and for the first time met people, who really understood me.
trast to other art, architecture has to function. It is about finding
Ando: I was inspired by observing how passionately our teacher
a concept of beauty from the point of view of aesthetics and
taught us maths and with what enthusiasm the carpenter, for
adapting this to fulfil human needs.
whom I worked as a boy, conducted his daily work. How has your work as an architect changed over the years Thom Mayne, you grew up in California. Did that influence
in your view?
your style?
Mayne: We live in a multicultural world. There are no universal
Mayne: I was born in Connecticut and we moved to Los Angeles
solutions. Architecture is global, something that an increas-
when I was ten. In the 60s, 70s, when I began to work, the city
ing number of people are concentrating on. Freedom is more
developed into one of the most significant creative centres in
important today than beauty. Because the greatest joy in ar-
the world. The people here are very open for original process-
chitecture is when you can think freely and at the same time
es and new ideas. Let us hope that Los Angeles always remains
logically.
an interesting, creative location.