Architect [14] Jacques Herzog + Pierre de Mueron
Posted on | April 28, 2009 | No Comments
Jacques Herzog + Pierre de Mueron (1950 – Present)
(it’s okay to smile, guys. no really).
Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron are two important Swiss architects known for innovative construction using new materials and techniques. The two architects have nearly parallel careers. You might say the two are attached at the hip as Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron were born the same year, attended the same school, and in 1978 they formed the architectural partnership, Herzog & de Meuron. I wonder if they have their own secret handshake, too?
Beijing National Stadium (Bird’s Nest)
In 2001, Herzog & de Meuron were awarded the Pritzker Prize, the highest of honors in architecture. Jury chairman J. Carter Brown, commented, “One is hard put to think of any architects in history that have addressed the integument of architecture with greater imagination and virtuosity.” This in reference to HdeM’s innovative use of exterior materials and treatments, such as silkscreened glass. Architecture critic and Pritzker juror Ada Louise Huxtable summarized HdeM’s approach concisely: “They refine the traditions of modernism to elemental simplicity, while transforming materials and surfaces through the exploration of new treatments and techniques.”
56 Leonard Street – in construction
I think I like you Leonard.
HdM’s commitment of articulation through materiality is a common thread through all their projects. Their formal gestures have generally progressed from the purist simplicity of rectangular forms to more complex and dynamic geometries. The architects often cite Joseph Beuys as an enduring artistic inspiration and collaborate with different artists on each architectural project.
Prada Tokyo
*gasp* Hiiiiii sexy building. My name is Kristin…
Prada Tokyo Interior
…can I keep you?
Prada Tokyo
Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron have designed projects in England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, the United States, and of course, in their native Switzerland. They have built residences, several apartment buildings, libraries, schools, a sports complex, a photographic studio, museums, hotels, railway utility buildings, and office and factory buildings. And I think I am in love.
[Sources: About, Wikipedia, The Pritzker Architecture Prize,
[Images via BDonline, Bird's Nest, via dezeen, Christopher, Kristen Elsby, and Eke Miedaner]
[Articles of Interest: Great Buildings, Tate Modern extension, Archdaily, dialog, and ArchitectureWeek]
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My name is Kristin and, if the blog name didn't give it away, I'm an interior designer. I'm also a self - proclaimed nerd, a grad student at SCAD-Atlanta, and a big fan of architecture, photography, travel, and iced chais. In a nutshell: I'm a lover of good design of all kinds.
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