Jean Nouvel

Jean Nouvel (born August 12, 1945) is a French architect. Nouvel studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was a founding member of Mars 1976 and Syndicat de l'Architecture. He has obtained a number of prestigious distinctions over the course of his career, including the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (technically, the prize was awarded for the Institut du Monde Arabe which Nouvel designed), the Wolf Prize in Arts in 2005 and the Pritzker Prize in 2008.^[1][2][3][4] A number of museums and architectural centres have presented retrospectives of his work.^[5][6]

Family and education

Nouvel was born August 12, 1945 in Fumel, Lot-et-Garonne, France, the son of Renée and Roger Nouvel who were teachers. His family moved often when his father became the county's chief school superintendent. His parents encouraged Nouvel to study mathematics and language, but when he was 16 years old he was captivated by art when a teacher taught him drawing. Although his later said he thought that his parents were guiding him to pursue a career in education or engineering, the family reached a compromise that he could study architecture which they thought was less risky than art.^[4]

When Nouvel failed an entrance examination at the École des Beaux-Arts of Bordeaux, he moved to Paris where he won first prize in a national competition to attend the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts. From 1967 to 1970, Nouvel earned his income as an assistant to architects Claude Parent and Paul Virilio, who after only one year, made him a project manager in charge of building an large apartment complex.^[4]

Nouvel and filmmaker Odile Fillion married and have two sons, Bertrand, who is a post-doctorate computer scientist working at the University of Chiba in Japan, and Pierre, who is a theater producer and designer at his company, Factoid. With his second wife Catherine Richard, Nouvel has a daughter, Sarah. He lives now with Mia Hagg, who is a Swedish architect working at her practice Habiter Autrement (HA) in Paris.^[4]

Practice

By age 25, Nouvel completed school and entered into his own partnership with François Seigneur. Parent sent them work, and gave Nouvel a valuable recommendation to the directorship of the seventh edition of the Biennale de Paris^[5] where for fifteen years, Nouvel designed exhibits and made contacts in the arts and theater.^[4] Soon into his career, Nouvel became a key participant in intellectual debates about architecture in France: he co-founded the Mars 1976 movement in 1976 and, a year later, the Syndicat de l'Architecture. Nouvel was one of the organizers of the competition for the rejuvenation of the Les Halles district (1977) and he founded the first Paris architecture biennale in 1980.

In 1981, Nouvel won the competition for the Institut du monde arabe (Arab World Institute) building in Paris, whose construction was completed in 1987 and brought Nouvel international fame. Mechanical lenses reminiscent of Arabic latticework in its south wall open and shut automatically, controlling interior lighting as the lenses' photoelectric cells respond to exterior light levels.^[4]

Nouvel had three different partners between 1972 and 1984: Gilbert Lezenes, Jean-François Guyot, and Pierre Soria. In 1985 with his junior architects Emmanuel Blamont, Jean-Marc Ibos and Mirto Vitart, he founded Jean Nouvel et Associés. Then, with Emmanuel Gattani, he formed JNEC in 1988. Ateliers Jean Nouvel, his present practice, was formed in 1994 with Michel Pélissié and is one of the largest in France, with 140 people in the main office in Paris. Ateliers Jean Nouvel site offices are in London, Copenhagen, New York, Rome, Madrid and Barcelona. As of 2008, they are working on 40 active projects in 13 countries.^[4] Nouvel designed a flacon for L'Homme, an Yves Saint Laurent fragrance, in a limited edition launched in 2008.^[7]

Pritzker Prize

Torre Agbar (2005, upper right) in Barcelona is one of Nouvel's most famous recent buildings.

Nouvel was awarded the Pritzker Prize, architecture's highest honour, in 2008, for his work on more than 200 projects,^[8] among them, in the words of The New York Times, the "exotically louvered" Arab World Institute, the bullet-shaped and "candy-colored" Torre Agbar in Barcelona, the "muscular" Guthrie Theater with its cantilevered bridge in Minneapolis, and in Paris, the "defiant, mysterious and wildly eccentric" Musée du quai Branly (2006) and the Philharmonie de Paris (a "trip into the unknown" c. 2012).^[3][8]

Pritzker points to several more major works: in Europe, the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art (1994), the Culture and Convention Center (KKL, 2000) in Lucerne, the Opéra Nouvel (2003) in Lyon, Expo 2002 in Switzerland and, under construction, the Copenhagen Concert Hall and the courthouse in Nantes (2000); and two tall towers in planning in North America, Tour Verre in New York City and SunCal in Los Angeles,^[4]

In its citation, the jury of the Pritzker prize noted:

Of the many phrases that might be used to describe the career of architect Jean Nouvel, foremost are those that emphasize his courageous pursuit of new ideas and his challenge of accepted norms in order to stretch the boundaries of the field. [...] The jury acknowledged the ‘persistence, imagination, exuberance, and, above all, an insatiable urge for creative experimentation’ as qualities abundant in Nouvel’s work.^[4]

Nouvel is the second French citizen to win the Pritzker Prize,^[9] after Christian de Portzamparc in 1994.

Projects

Nouvel has designed a number of notable buildings across the world, the most significant of which are listed below. As part of the announcement of Nouvel's Pritzker Prize, the Hyatt Foundation, which awards the prize, published a full illustrated list of Nouvel's architectural work, including projects which were never built, projects in construction and designs for which construction has yet to start. ^[10][11] In 2001 director Beat Kuert filmed a documentary about five of Nouvel's projects titled Jean Nouvel.

Proposed

• Jean Nouvel is one of the architects involved in the designing of the new Slussen in Stockholm.^[12]
• On Tuesday 05/27/2008 Nouvel's design won the contest for the upcoming Tour Signal in La Défense.
• In February 2008, Nouvel agreed to design a rakish 45-story luxury condo tower in upscale Century City section of Los Angeles, California. The tower will be of modern design -- it is designed to maximize views of the Los Angeles Country Club from the units and is opposed by both homeowners associations in Beverly Hills for the shadows it will cast on many small homes and its next door neighbor, Beverly Hills High School. ^[13]
• In November 2006, Hines commissioned Nouvel to build a new 75-story tower, named the Tour de Verre, next to the Museum of Modern Art in Midtown Manhattan. The tower will house a hotel, luxury apartments and three floors (2nd, 4th, and 5th) will be used by MoMA to expand its exhibition space.^[14] The tower has ignited a controversy in New York City, with many objecting to the tower, and Community Board 5 has rejected the project.^[15]
• In April 2007, Jean Nouvel associated with Marshall Day Acoustics Ltd won the competition to build a new Orchestra Hall (Philharmonie de Paris) in Paris, close to Cité de la Musique (opening in 2012)^[16]
• The Centre for Sustainable Development in Le Havre, France. The project includes the construction of a 120 m high tower on a former seaport area. The project is currently on hold because of an important increase in projected costs. ^[17]

Under construction

Model of the future Louvre Abu Dhabi

• In March 2007, the Louvre announced it would build a Louvre branch in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, on Saadiyat Island. Jean Nouvel was chosen as architect. The museum is expected to be completed by 2012. ^[18]
• A 20-story condo tower built on a parking lot at 11th Avenue and 19th Street in New York City. The tower is next to the Venus (mural) (1970) by New York painter Knox Martin[1] on the south side of Bayview Correctional Facility and will block the 10 story mural from view.^[19] (Expected completion in 2009)^[20]
• Copenhagen Concert Hall - Copenhagen, Denmark (Expected completion in 2008) ^[21]
• In Montpellier the new Hôtel de Ville designed in partnership with François Fontès is under construction and scheduled for completion in 2011. ^[22]

Completed

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (2005) in Madrid

Monolith for Expo.02 (2002) in Switzerland

Zlatý Anděl (2001) in Prague

Gasometer A (2001, foreground?) in Vienna

Culture and Convention Center (2000) in Lucerne

Dentsu Building (1998) in Tokyo

• 2008 - Genoa, Italy – Pavilion B, Genoa Exhibition Centre ^[23]
• 2008 - 40 Mercer Street Residences - New York City, U.S.
• 2006 - Minneapolis, Minnesota – Guthrie Theater ^[24]
• 2006 - Paris, France – Musée du quai Branly
• 2005 - Madrid, Spain – Reina Sofía Museum expansion
• 2003 - Barcelona, Spain – Torre Agbar (Office) ^[25]
• 2002 - Murten, Switzerland – Monolith of Expo.02 ^[26]
• 2001 - Cologne, Germany – KölnTurm ^[27]
• 2001 - Prague, Czech Republic – Zlatý Anděl (Office / Retail) ^[28]
• 2001 - Vienna, Austria Rehabilitation of the Gasometer (Housing / Retail)
• 2000 - Lucerne, Switzerland – Culture and Convention Center (Performance Space / Conference Hall / Museum / Restaurant)
• 2000 - Lucerne, Switzerland – Reconstruction of The Hotel (Hotel / Restaurant-Bar) ^[29]
• 2000 - Mons, Belgium – Science Park (Museum)
• 2000 - Nantes, France – Palais de Justice (Institutional)
• 1999 - Bregenz, Austria – Interunfall (Office / Housing)
• 1999 - Rueil-Malmaison, France – Foundation Cognac-Jay (Hospital)
• 1999 - Strasbourg, France – Schutzenberger Brewery (Restaurant-Bar)
• 1999 - Wismar, Germany – Technology Center (Office)
• 1998 - Paris, France – Musée de la Publicité (Museum)
• 1998 - Tokyo, Japan – Dentsu Building (Office / High-Rise)
• 1995 - Berlin, Germany – Galeries Lafayette (Retail / Office) ^[30]
• 1995 - Lille, France – Eurallille (Retail / Office / Housing)
• 1994 - Hérouville-Saint-Clair, France – Social Center (Institutional)
• 1994 - Boisseuil, France – Pôle de Lanaud, Genoscope (Office)
• 1994 - Paris, France – Fondation Cartier (Office / Cultural) ^[31]
• 1993 - Bezons, France – ZAC Parmentier (Housing)
• 1993 - Lyon, France – Renovation of the Nouvel Opéra (Opera House / Restaurant)
• 1993 - Périgueux, France – Vésunna Gallo-Roman Museum (Museum) ^[32]
• 1993 - Saint-Imier, Switzerland – Cartier CTL (Industrial)
• 1993 - Tours, France – Conference Center (Conference Hall) ^[33]
• 1993 - Tours, France – Housing (Housing)
• 1993 - Tours, France – Tourism Office (Office)
• 1993 - Tours, France – Parking (Transportation)
• 1992 - Dax, France – Hôtel des Thermes (Hotel / Restaurant)
• 1992 - Hérouville-Saint-Clair, France – Perception (Institutional)
• 1992 - Issy-les-Moulineaux, France – CLMBBDO (Office)
• 1992 - Tours, France – Bus Terminal (Transportation)
• 1991 - Blois, France – Poulain (Industrial / Office)
• 1991 - Cap d'Ail, France – Pierre et Vacances (Housing)
• 1990 - Freiburg, Germany – Interdica (Industrial)
• 1989 - Bouliac, France – Hôtel Saint-James (Hotel / Restaurant-Bar) ^[34]
• 1989 - Nancy, France – INIST (Office)
• 1989 - Paris, France – ADP Offices (Office)
• 1989 - Paris, France – Bailly Apartments (Housing)
• 1988 - Paris, France – Galleries Bailly (Cultural)
• 1988 - Paris, France – Hit Parade (Retail)
• 1988 - Saint-Herblain, France – Onyx (Performance Space)
• 1987 - Combs-la-Ville, France – La Coupole (Cultural)
• 1986 - Marne-la-Vallée, France – Gymnase du Luzard (Sport)
• 1987 - Nîmes, France – Dhuoda (Education)
• 1987 - Nîmes, France – Nemausus 1 (Housing, 114 apartments)
• 1987 - Paris, France – Arab World Institute (Cultural / Museum) ^[35]
• 1987 - Saint-Ouen, France – Housing (Housing)
• 1986 - Nîmes, France – Sport Center (Sport)
• 1984 - Antony, France – Les Godets (Education)
• 1984 - Belfort, France – Municipal Theater (Performance Space) ^[36]
• 1983 - Paris, France – Yves Dauge Offices (Office)
• 1982 - Kerjouanno, France – SEA Center (Education / Leisure)
• 1982 - Paris, France – Péniche Club de Presse Renault (Restaurant-Bar)
• 1980 - Antony, France – Collège Anne Franck (Education)
• 1979 - Bezons, France – Val-Notre-Dame Clinic (Hospital)
• 1979 - Troyes, France – Devoldere Residence (Housing)
• 1978 - Troyes, France – Dick Residence (Housing)
• 1976 - Paris, France – Trocadero Library (Institutional)
• 1974 - Périgueux, France – Delanghe Residence (Housing)
• 1974 - Trélissac, France – Kindergarten School (Education)
• 1973 - Villeneuve-sur-Lot, France – Delbigot Residence (Housing)
• 1972 - Paris, France – Baillais – Printing House (Office)
• 1971 - Paris, France – Plateau Beaubourg (Cultural)

Abandoned projects

• 1989 - The Tour Sans Fins (Office/High-Rise) at La Défense, France, was never realized. Nouvel's winning design, proposed as Europe's tallest building in 1989, was to change ground up from granite, followed by aluminum, stainless steel and finally glass—"increasingly diaphanous before disappearing into the sky".^[4]

Awards and distinctions

Nouvel and the buildings which he designed have received a number of distinctions during his career, the most prestigious of which are listed below.

Individual distinctions

• 2008 - Pritzker Prize ^[3]
• 2005 - Wolf Prize in Arts ^[2]
• Honorary degrees from the University of Buenos Aires (1983), the Royal College of Art, London (2002) and the University of Naples (2002).^[5]
• Honorary fellow of the American Institute of Architects (1993) and of the Royal Institute of British Architects (1995). ^[5]
• In 1997, Nouvel was named Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He first joined the order in 1983. He is also Chevalier de la légion d'honneur.^[4]

Distinctions for projects

• 1989 - Aga Khan Award for Architecture for the Institut du Monde Arabe. ^[1][5] In 1987, the building also won the Équerre d'Argent awarded yearly to the best building in France.^[37]

Retrospectives

• 2005 - Louisiana Museum of Modern Art ^[6]
• 2001 - Centre Pompidou, Paris ^[5]

References

Sources consulted

Endnotes

External links

• Jean Nouvel - Official website
• Jean Nouvel biography and works
• Vanity Fair Interview