The Pritzker jury has announced the winner of its 2020 edition: Grafton Architects. The award recognizes the exemplary work of the tandem formed by the Irish architects Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara.
“For their integrity in their approach to both their buildings, as well as the way they conduct their practice, their belief in collaboration, their generosity towards their colleagues, especially as evidenced in such events as the 2018 Venice Biennale, their unceasing commitment to excellence in architecture, their responsible attitude toward the environment, their ability to be cosmopolitan while embracing the uniqueness of each place in which they work, for all these reasons and more, Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara are awarded the 2020 Pritzker Architecture Prize,”
Unreasonably, the most prestigious architecture award has historically ignored women. This is ONLY the second time that a studio lead by women has won the Pritzker (the first was Zaha Hadid). A tiny percentage considering the current – or past, for that matter- level. For example, the sensitivity of Tatiana Bilbao’s work, the sculptural and robust design of Alison Brooks, the technological innovation of Amanda Levete, the contemporary design with traditional materials and techniques of Anna Heringer, the experimentation of Jeane Gang, the use of color of Odile Decq, the importance of sustainability in architecture of Victoria Garriga...to name just a few.
We hope that the Pritzker’s jury will expand their horizons and be more inclusive. Broadening the mission of these awards with diverse points of view that can only enrich the community.
