Architecture: Eclecticist Jean Nouvel Plucks Prestigious Pritzker Prize

Nouvel's proposal for a tower in New York on 53rd Street has been approved by the Museum of Modern Art, which jointly controls the use of the property.

By Noah Mallin

French Architect Jean Nouvel has bagged this year's Pritzker Prize, given out annually by a special jury to a living architect. Though he is best known for work throughout Europe, his Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis is amongst his finest. Nouvel first made his mark in Paris however with his work to help rejuvenate the ancient market district known as Les Halles and the fantastical Institut du Monde Arabe building (see below) , completed in 1987 and fitted with intricate and fascinating window designs.



His recent plan for the port of Vigo in Spain includes a stylized granite monolith the size of a small office building at the end of the main pier (see below):



His design for the Guthrie Theater (2006) (below) shows his disdain for a "signature style", instead choosing to shape each project for its use and its surroundings. This is not to say that he attempts to blend them in like a chameleon. In fact he often seems to employ contrast both within his designs and with their nearby buildings and physical locale.

Design: New York's New Nouvel Springs From MOMA's Earth

The New York Times has a gushing piece on the new tower planned for the site next to the Museum of Modern Art. Though architecture ace Nicolai Ouroussoff takes the museum to task for not developing the entire parcel for their own use, he has high praise for the tower's design by Jean Nouvel comparing it to the Chrysler Building, the Woolworth Building and the Seagram Building.

The 75 story tower will house some exhibition space for MOMA as well as a hotel and apartments, and restaurants. It was commissioned by developer Hines.