(Phillipe Ruault/CASACOR)
Anne Lacaton and
Jean-Philippe Vassal never tore down a building to make way for another – for them,
every structure can be reused, reinvented, reinvigorated . It was this principle that earned them the highest honor in their field, the
Pritzker Architecture Prize , for their significant contributions to humanity and the built environment. According to the Pritzker jury, “they begin each project with a
process of discovery that involves looking intensely and
finding value in what already exists .” The main principle that guides the architects’ work is never to demolish, but always
to find sustainable value in buildings . “Demolition is the easiest solution, but it is also a
waste of energy, materials and history and an act of violence,” say the architects.
Who are Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal?
In the late 1970s, Anne Lacaton met Jean-Philippe Vassal while they were both attending the
Bordeaux School of Architecture in France. After graduation, the two spent
five years working in Niger , south of the Sahara, where they discovered that the dwellings they had studied in college did not exist. “The desert was a second school for us,” Vassal told the New York Times. It was there that they learned what he called the “
poetic approach ”: using basic materials such as
wood and fabric to create shade . In 1987, the pair returned to Paris and founded the
office Lacaton & Vassal , located in the Parisian suburb of Montreuil. In the portfolio Among the award-winning works, the
social and sustainable housing projects stand out.
(Phillipe Ruault/CASACOR)
As the 49th and 50th laureates of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal prove that “one can pursue a commitment to
restorative architecture that is at the same time
technological, innovative and ecologically responsible ,” the jury declared. With the award, Lacaton became
the first French architect to receive the honor .
Main works
(Phillipe Ruault/CASACOR)
With hundreds of projects in Europe and West Africa, the duo has a number of
public spaces, cultural institutions and social housing under their belts. In 2019, they received the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture for the transformation of
530 housing units in the French city of Bordeaux. The
Palais de Tokyo cultural center in Paris; the
Polyvalent Theater in the French city of Lille; the
23 Housing Units of Trignac; the
Faculty of Architecture of Nantes and the
Ourcq Jaures Housing are examples of his major works.
The Palais de Tokyo
(Phillipe Ruault/CASACOR)
The large spaces of the Faculty of Architecture, Urbanism and Landscape of Nantes were kept with
transparent facades , to take advantage of the sun's rays in the late afternoon. Inside, the double-height volumes
were not assigned to specific functions , making the place
passable of appropriations and events , as needed.
Ourcq Jaures Student and Social Housing
Located in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, between the Ourcq canal and the "petite ceinture" railways, the building has
98 student residences and 30 social residences , as well as a specialist care home and three shops. The
spacious housing project gives residents the opportunity to
enjoy both the internal garden and the street from the balconies and glass enclosures.
The renovation of 530 housing units in Bordeaux
(Phillipe Ruault/CASACOR)
The redevelopment project of three modernist
social housing buildings in the city of Bordeaux, France, has renovated more than
four thousand affordable housing units. Built in the early 1970s, the 'Cité du Grand Parc' suffered for years from
poor maintenance of the buildings and, after legal battles, it was decided to undertake an extensive renovation project. In a
privileged location , the homes have enormous potential to
restore the self-esteem of the neighborhood and its residents .
The 23 Semi-Collective Housing Units of Trignac
(Phillipe Ruault/CASACOR)
In Trignac, the Lacaton & Vassal housing unit was designed with a
simple, economical and efficient structure ; based on the
principle of a loft : a surface of maximum volume, possessing contrasting and complementary qualities of rooms. The entire external structure was built in steel. galvanized, transparent polycarbonate or natural aluminum.
The Frac Dunkirk
In 2008, FRAC Dunkerque, a
decentralized regional art center in France, gained a permanent home for its growing collection from Lacaton and Vassal. For the space, the duo proposed
renovating the existing building and constructing a second, identical one immediately next door to house the FRAC’s exhibition and collection spaces. Large windows, high ceilings and floor plans optimized for factory work now mark the spaces of the creative industry.
The Multipurpose Theater
A place for cultural dissemination that operates on both an
urban and local scale , the Teatro Polivalente in Lille was designed with two facades in
structures that resemble a greenhouse . Inside them, it is possible
to grow flowers and other plants . The mobile facade can be completely opened, making so that the
hall extends to the park .
