Renovating
Sir David Chipperfield Wins the 2023 Pritzker Architecture Prize
The celebrated British architect is known for honouring history and culture while creating timeless modern design
Sir David Alan Chipperfield, a civic architect, urban planner and activist, has been awarded architecture’s top honour, the Pritzker Architecture Prize. He’s known for respecting pre-existing buildings and natural environments while creating modern buildings and features that reimagine functionality and accessibility.
The Neues Museum. Photo courtesy of Ute Zscharnt for David Chipperfield Architects.
Spacious outdoor areas make the Neues Museum an inviting location even for those who don’t venture indoors. “Generous outdoor spaces make [Chipperfield’s museums] not fortresses but connectors, places for gathering and observing, such that the building itself is a gift to the city, a common ground even for those who never enter the galleries,” the Pritzker jury said in its announcement.
“As an architect, I am, in a way, the guardian of meaning, memory and heritage,” Chipperfield said. “Cities are historical records, and architecture after a certain moment is a historical record. Cities are dynamic, so they don’t just sit there, they evolve. And in that evolution, we take buildings away and we replace them with others. We choose ourselves, and the concept of only protecting the best is not enough. It’s also a matter of protecting character and qualities that reflect the richness of the evolution of a city.”
Spacious outdoor areas make the Neues Museum an inviting location even for those who don’t venture indoors. “Generous outdoor spaces make [Chipperfield’s museums] not fortresses but connectors, places for gathering and observing, such that the building itself is a gift to the city, a common ground even for those who never enter the galleries,” the Pritzker jury said in its announcement.
“As an architect, I am, in a way, the guardian of meaning, memory and heritage,” Chipperfield said. “Cities are historical records, and architecture after a certain moment is a historical record. Cities are dynamic, so they don’t just sit there, they evolve. And in that evolution, we take buildings away and we replace them with others. We choose ourselves, and the concept of only protecting the best is not enough. It’s also a matter of protecting character and qualities that reflect the richness of the evolution of a city.”
The Neues Museum. Photo courtesy of SMB / Ute Zscharnt for David Chipperfield Architects.
More: How to Choose an Architect
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Procuratie Vecchie in Venice, Italy (2022). Photo courtesy of Richard Davies.
In 2022, Chipperfield completed work on Procuratie Vecchie in Venice, which dates back to the 16th century. He restored and reinvented the building to allow general access for the first time.
Traditional craftsmen revived original frescoes, terrazzo and pastellone flooring and plasterwork to reveal layers of history. Chipperfield incorporated local artisan and building techniques to create modern features such as vertical circulation.
In 2022, Chipperfield completed work on Procuratie Vecchie in Venice, which dates back to the 16th century. He restored and reinvented the building to allow general access for the first time.
Traditional craftsmen revived original frescoes, terrazzo and pastellone flooring and plasterwork to reveal layers of history. Chipperfield incorporated local artisan and building techniques to create modern features such as vertical circulation.
Procuratie Vecchie. Photo courtesy of Alessandra Chemollo.
The restored Procuratie Vecchie building now enables views from above and within, revealing rooftop terraces, exhibition and event spaces, and an auditorium.
The restored Procuratie Vecchie building now enables views from above and within, revealing rooftop terraces, exhibition and event spaces, and an auditorium.
Procuratie Vecchie. Photo courtesy of Alessandra Chemollo.
An enfilade of arches in Procuratie Vecchie diverge into galleries. “Subtle yet powerful, subdued yet elegant, he is a prolific architect who is radical in his restraint,” the prize jury said. He creates “timeless modern design that confronts climate urgencies, transforms social relationships and reinvigorates cities”.
An enfilade of arches in Procuratie Vecchie diverge into galleries. “Subtle yet powerful, subdued yet elegant, he is a prolific architect who is radical in his restraint,” the prize jury said. He creates “timeless modern design that confronts climate urgencies, transforms social relationships and reinvigorates cities”.
Sir David Alan Chipperfield. Photo courtesy of Tom Welsh.
Chipperfield was born in London in 1953 and raised on a farm in Devon. A collection of barns and outbuildings there made a strong early physical impression on him.
“I think good architecture provides a setting, it’s there and it’s not there,” he said. “Like all things that have great meaning, they’re both foreground and background, and I’m not so fascinated by foreground all the time. Architecture is something which can intensify and support and help our rituals and our lives. The experiences in life that I gravitate towards and enjoy most are when normal things have been made special as opposed to where everything is about the special.”
He graduated from the Kingston School of Art in 1976 and the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London in 1980. He has received numerous awards and professorships over his decades-long career. And he was appointed as Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2004, knighted in 2010 and appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour in 2021.
“Designing isn’t coming up with colours and shapes,” Chipperfield said. “It’s about developing a series of questions and ideas which have a certain rigour and consequence to them. And if you can do that, it doesn’t matter which path you go down, as long as you go down the path well and have been consequential in the process.”
Chipperfield has worked on a variety of building types, including civic, commercial, retail and residential. But museums have been a particular focus since the start of his career. “His museum buildings have always defied the notion that a museum is a place for elite culture,” the jury said. “Over and over, he has interpreted the demands of the museum program to create not only a showcase for art but also a place interwoven with its city, breaking down boundaries and inviting the public at large to engage.”
Here’s a look at more of Chipperfield’s notable works:
Chipperfield was born in London in 1953 and raised on a farm in Devon. A collection of barns and outbuildings there made a strong early physical impression on him.
“I think good architecture provides a setting, it’s there and it’s not there,” he said. “Like all things that have great meaning, they’re both foreground and background, and I’m not so fascinated by foreground all the time. Architecture is something which can intensify and support and help our rituals and our lives. The experiences in life that I gravitate towards and enjoy most are when normal things have been made special as opposed to where everything is about the special.”
He graduated from the Kingston School of Art in 1976 and the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London in 1980. He has received numerous awards and professorships over his decades-long career. And he was appointed as Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2004, knighted in 2010 and appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour in 2021.
“Designing isn’t coming up with colours and shapes,” Chipperfield said. “It’s about developing a series of questions and ideas which have a certain rigour and consequence to them. And if you can do that, it doesn’t matter which path you go down, as long as you go down the path well and have been consequential in the process.”
Chipperfield has worked on a variety of building types, including civic, commercial, retail and residential. But museums have been a particular focus since the start of his career. “His museum buildings have always defied the notion that a museum is a place for elite culture,” the jury said. “Over and over, he has interpreted the demands of the museum program to create not only a showcase for art but also a place interwoven with its city, breaking down boundaries and inviting the public at large to engage.”
Here’s a look at more of Chipperfield’s notable works:
James-Simon-Galerie in Berlin, Germany (2018). Photo courtesy of Simon Menges.
Colonnades inspired by Neues Museum architect Friedrich August Stüler enclose a public terrace at the James-Simon-Galerie in Berlin. A wide staircase and open spaces allow abundant light into the large entrance.
Colonnades inspired by Neues Museum architect Friedrich August Stüler enclose a public terrace at the James-Simon-Galerie in Berlin. A wide staircase and open spaces allow abundant light into the large entrance.
James-Simon-Galerie. Photo courtesy of Ute Zscharnt for David Chipperfield Architects.
Amorepacific Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea (2017). Photo courtesy of Noshe.
The headquarters for Amorepacific in Seoul features vertical aluminium fins across a glass façade that provide solar shading and natural ventilation and translucency. A public atrium, museum, library, auditorium and restaurants occupy spaces between offices.
The headquarters for Amorepacific in Seoul features vertical aluminium fins across a glass façade that provide solar shading and natural ventilation and translucency. A public atrium, museum, library, auditorium and restaurants occupy spaces between offices.
Amorepacific Headquarters. Photo courtesy of Noshe.
Amorepacific Headquarters. Photo courtesy of Noshe.
BBC Scotland headquarters in Glasgow (2007). Photo courtesy of Ute Zscharnt for David Chipperfield Architects.
Located at an abandoned shipbuilding site, the BBC Scotland headquarters features an expansive central atrium with a winding staircase and tiered promenades that create informal gathering spaces. Enclosed studios and small offices surround the interior, while larger offices enjoy views of the River Clyde.
Located at an abandoned shipbuilding site, the BBC Scotland headquarters features an expansive central atrium with a winding staircase and tiered promenades that create informal gathering spaces. Enclosed studios and small offices surround the interior, while larger offices enjoy views of the River Clyde.
Hoxton Press in London (2018). Photo courtesy of Simon Menges.
Hoxton Press is a collaboration with Karakusevic Carson Architects as part of a community redevelopment project that helps fund affordable housing through sales of residential units. The hexagonal towers allow each of the 198 units to have a large corner balcony. The 16-storey tower in red and the 20-storey tower in grey are composed of handmade Belgian clay bricks.
Hoxton Press is a collaboration with Karakusevic Carson Architects as part of a community redevelopment project that helps fund affordable housing through sales of residential units. The hexagonal towers allow each of the 198 units to have a large corner balcony. The 16-storey tower in red and the 20-storey tower in grey are composed of handmade Belgian clay bricks.
Hoxton Press. Photo courtesy of Simon Menges.
The corner balconies in the Hoxton Press towers extend residential living space.
“We know that, as architects, we can have a more prominent and engaged role in creating not only a more beautiful world but a fairer and more sustainable one, too,” Chipperfield said. “We must rise to this challenge and help inspire the next generation to embrace this responsibility with vision and courage.”
The corner balconies in the Hoxton Press towers extend residential living space.
“We know that, as architects, we can have a more prominent and engaged role in creating not only a more beautiful world but a fairer and more sustainable one, too,” Chipperfield said. “We must rise to this challenge and help inspire the next generation to embrace this responsibility with vision and courage.”
River & Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire (1997). Photo courtesy of Richard Bryant / Arcaid.
A museum exhibiting rowing boats, the history of the sport, the River Thames and the town of Henley was Chipperfield’s first building in the UK. It features clerestory windows and pitched roofs inspired by river boathouses and the traditional wooden barns of Oxfordshire clad in untreated green English oak.
A museum exhibiting rowing boats, the history of the sport, the River Thames and the town of Henley was Chipperfield’s first building in the UK. It features clerestory windows and pitched roofs inspired by river boathouses and the traditional wooden barns of Oxfordshire clad in untreated green English oak.
River & Rowing Museum. Photo courtesy of Richard Bryant / Arcaid.
Saint Louis Art Museum in St Louis, Missouri, USA (2013). Photo courtesy of Simon Menges.
For the Saint Louis Art Museum in Missouri, Chipperfield, in collaboration with HOK, kept the original museum building designed by Cass Gilbert in 1904 for the St Louis World’s Fair, but created a dark concrete addition behind it among a grove of trees.
“In a world where many architects view a commission as an opportunity to add to their own portfolio, [Chipperfield] responds to each project with specific tools that he has selected with preciseness and great care,” said Alejandro Aravena, a jury chair and 2016 Pritzker Prize Laureate. “Sometimes it requires a gesture that is strong and monumental, while other times, it requires him to almost disappear. But his buildings will always stand the test of time, because the ultimate goal of his operation is to serve the greater good. The avoidance of what’s fashionable has allowed him to remain permanent.”
For the Saint Louis Art Museum in Missouri, Chipperfield, in collaboration with HOK, kept the original museum building designed by Cass Gilbert in 1904 for the St Louis World’s Fair, but created a dark concrete addition behind it among a grove of trees.
“In a world where many architects view a commission as an opportunity to add to their own portfolio, [Chipperfield] responds to each project with specific tools that he has selected with preciseness and great care,” said Alejandro Aravena, a jury chair and 2016 Pritzker Prize Laureate. “Sometimes it requires a gesture that is strong and monumental, while other times, it requires him to almost disappear. But his buildings will always stand the test of time, because the ultimate goal of his operation is to serve the greater good. The avoidance of what’s fashionable has allowed him to remain permanent.”
The Hepworth Wakefield in West Yorkshire (2011). Photo courtesy of Iwan Baan.
Accessible only by footbridge, The Hepworth Wakefield museum comprises 10 interlinked trapezoidal volumes that appear to rise out of the river.
Accessible only by footbridge, The Hepworth Wakefield museum comprises 10 interlinked trapezoidal volumes that appear to rise out of the river.
Inagawa Cemetery Chapel and Visitor Centre in Hyogo, Japan (2017). Photo courtesy of Keiko Sasaoka.
At Japan’s Inagawa Cemetery Chapel and Visitor Centre, constructed in collaboration with Key Operation, earth-like red monolithic buildings interconnect with stairs and pathways along a sloping mountain terrain.
At Japan’s Inagawa Cemetery Chapel and Visitor Centre, constructed in collaboration with Key Operation, earth-like red monolithic buildings interconnect with stairs and pathways along a sloping mountain terrain.
Inagawa Cemetery Chapel and Visitor Centre. Photo courtesy of Keiko Sasaoka.
“We do not see an instantly recognisable David Chipperfield building in different cities, but different David Chipperfield buildings designed specifically for each circumstance,” the Pritzker Prize jury shared in its announcement. “Each asserts its presence even as his buildings create new connections with the neighbourhood. His architectural language balances consistency with the fundamental design principles and flexibility towards the local cultures … The work of David Chipperfield unifies European classicism, the complex nature of Britain and even the delicateness of Japan. It is the fruition of cultural diversity.”
Chipperfield is the 52nd Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize. He lives in London and leads additional offices in Berlin, Milan, Shanghai and Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
The Pritzker Prize is awarded every year to a living architect or architects for significant achievement in the field. It was established by the Pritzker family of Chicago through its Hyatt Foundation in 1979. The award consists of $100,000 (around £84,583) and a bronze medallion. The 2023 Pritzker Prize ceremony will be held in Athens, Greece, in May.
Tell us…
Which of these buildings caught your interest? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
“We do not see an instantly recognisable David Chipperfield building in different cities, but different David Chipperfield buildings designed specifically for each circumstance,” the Pritzker Prize jury shared in its announcement. “Each asserts its presence even as his buildings create new connections with the neighbourhood. His architectural language balances consistency with the fundamental design principles and flexibility towards the local cultures … The work of David Chipperfield unifies European classicism, the complex nature of Britain and even the delicateness of Japan. It is the fruition of cultural diversity.”
Chipperfield is the 52nd Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize. He lives in London and leads additional offices in Berlin, Milan, Shanghai and Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
The Pritzker Prize is awarded every year to a living architect or architects for significant achievement in the field. It was established by the Pritzker family of Chicago through its Hyatt Foundation in 1979. The award consists of $100,000 (around £84,583) and a bronze medallion. The 2023 Pritzker Prize ceremony will be held in Athens, Greece, in May.
Tell us…
Which of these buildings caught your interest? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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A good example of that balance is Chipperfield’s work on Berlin’s Neues Museum, which was built in the mid-19th century and left in near ruins after World War II.
The 2023 prize winner preserved and restored much of the old architecture while introducing captivating modern design elements, such as a new main stairwell, shown here, flanked by walls bearing original frescoes and repurposed materials featuring destructive markings from the war.
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