Tod Williams and Billie Tsien receive Praemium Imperiale Award
by Stu Robarts | 17 Sep 2019
We really want our buildings to sit well and feel as if, in a certain way, they’ve always been there. But then we want to create an experience when you go in that surprises you and completely takes you out of the sense of: ‘this has always been there’
– Billie Tsien
– Billie Tsien
New York-based Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, who are currently designing the Barack Obama Presidential Center, have received the 2019 Praemium Imperiale Award for architecture.
The global arts prize is awarded annually across five categories by the Japan Art Association to honour recipients for their “outstanding contributions to the development, promotion and progress of the arts”.
Speaking at the announcement of the 2019 laureates, former British Governor of Hong Kong and current advisor for Praemium Imperiale Lord Patten of Barnes said: “It is not unreasonable to consider [the Praemium Imperiale] the arts equivalent of the Nobel Prize.”
In announcing Williams and Tsien as the 2019 laureates for architecture, Praemium Imperiale described the duo’s work as having “strong values of beauty, timelessness and what they describe as “art and use’”. It described their belief that architecture is an act of “profound optimism”, a service that can reflect the values of public institutions that share this view and their strong social commitment to buildings the public can enjoy.
“We really want our buildings to sit well and feel as if, in a certain way, they’ve always been there,” explains Billie Tsien. “But then, we want to create an experience when you go in that surprises you and completely takes you out of the sense of: ‘this has always been there’.”
Williams and Tsien’s approach is described as a collaborative process that is intentionally slow and one that favours designing by hand over digital means.
Expanding on this, Tod Williams says: “I’m drawing to try to talk to myself and the drawing into others. It’s slowing it down so we can be in conversation with what we’re doing.”
Discussing their current work on the Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, Williams says: “We use the words enable and enoble. One of them is in a way creating a kind of myth, like putting a person on a pedestal, and the other one is, in a way, grounding it. So, I think that’s the primary struggle with that project.”
Elsewhere, they have worked on the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, the LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Brooklyn and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment in New Jersey. The couple have worked together since 1977 and established their practice, Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, in 1986.
“We’ve been talking about trying to just leave the world better,” says Tsien. “If you can really try to act on that all the time, I think in large and small ways it can be quite profound.”
Each Praemium Imperiale laureate receives a commemorative gold medal and an honorarium of 15 million Yen (around £100,000). The awards will be presented at a ceremony in Tokyo, Japan, this October.
Tod Williams Billie Tsien Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects Praemium Imperiale
The Neurosciences Institute La Jolla, California / Michael Moran
Cranbrook Natatorium Bloomfield Hills, Michigan / Taylor Jewell
The American Folk Art Museum New York City, New York / Michael Moran
The American Folk Art Museum New York City, New York / Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects | Partners
The Center for the Advancement of Public Action, Bennington College, Bennington, Vermont / Michael Moran
Lefrak Center at Lakeside Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York / Michael Moran
Lefrak Center at Lakeside Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York / Michael Moran
The Barnes Foundation Philadelphia, Pennsylvania / Michael Moran
The Barnes Foundation Philadelphia, Pennsylvania / Michael Moran
The Asia Society Hong Kong Center Admiralty, Hong Kong / Michael Moran
The design for the Obama Presidential Center Chicago, Illinois / Image by DBOX
14 Sep 2016
Paulo Mendes da Rocha wins prestigious Praemium Imperiale architecture prize
01 Jul 2016
Obamas choose New York architects to lead design of their presidential library and museum
New York-based Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, who are currently designing the Barack Obama Presidential Center, have received the 2019 Praemium Imperiale Award for architecture. The global arts prize is awarded annually across five categories by the Japan Art Association to honour recipients for their “outstanding contributions to the development, promotion and progress of the arts”. Speaking at the announcement of the 2019 laureates, former British Governor of Hong Kong
AAC,ARC,DES,CLD
More news
Wilkinson Eyre and Gustafson Porter and Bowman's railway museum project gets massive funding injection
by Andy Knaggs | 18 Oct 2019
The UK government has announced a £250m (US$322m, €290m) Culture Investment Fund for England. The funding package will be spent on infrastructure projects in the culture, museums and libraries sectors. More than £125m (US$161m, €145m) of the fund is earmarked for investment in improvements to regional museums and libraries. As the recipient of the largest single contribution from the fund (£18.5m US$23.8m, €21.4m), the National Railway Museum in York will
Gym, pool, bars and restaurants complete the mix in MVRDV-designed urban redevelopment
by Stu Robarts | 18 Oct 2019
MVRDV has completed the WERK12 mixed-use building in Munich, Germany, with elements that can be adapted for use by different tenants. The 7,700sq m (83,000sq ft) development has a varied group of tenants, including restaurants and bars on the ground floor a three-storey gym with a one-storey swimming pool on the middle floors and offices at the top. The façade was designed in collaboration with local artists Christian Engelmann and
Cooper Carry architects' modular structure wins Radical Innovation Award for hospitality
by Stu Robarts | 18 Oct 2019
New York- based architectural practice Cooper Carry has won this year's Radical Innovation Awards for disruptive ideas in the hospitality sector with its collapsible, modular construction concept called Connectic. The basis of Connectic is a polyhedral unit that can be connected to the face of others to create structures that can be reshaped and resized as required. Connectic has been designed to be adaptable for use in a variety of
Native Places opens vast lifestyle aparthotel by Archer Humphryes Architects
by Stu Robarts | 18 Oct 2019
Native has opened a vast aparthotel, designed by Archer Humphryes Architects, in the Ducie Street railway goods warehouse in Manchester UK. On the ground floor is an all-day lounge, a mini-cinema, a coffee shop and restaurant. Private meeting and dining rooms, outdoor terraces and three fitness studios complete the mix. Covering 20,000sq ft (1,900sq m), the aparthotel houses 158 luxury studios. All are furnished by Conran Contracts and have sitting
Thinc Design reveal new observatory for the Empire State Building
by Andy Knaggs | 17 Oct 2019
The observation deck on the top floor of the Empire State Building has reopened this week after the third of a US$165m (€148, £128) four-phase redevelopment of the experience at the iconic New York City landmark. The observatory redevelopment was carried out by design consultants Beneville Studios, project managers JLL, elevator company Otis, contractors Skanska and Thinc Design, who designed the wider observatory experience exhibition. Tom Hennes, principal at Thinc
LXA designs compact neighbourhood boxing gym
by Stu Robarts | 17 Oct 2019
LXA has inserted a 2,000sq ft (186sq m) indoor/outdoor boxing gym into a mixed-use building in London for use by local residents and office workers. The Secret Boxing Gym is located in a former ground floor office space that had full-height glazing on two sides. By replacing this with fold back, full height doors, LXA added a distinguishing feature to an otherwise compact gym. The glazing makes for an airy,
Gustafson Porter + Bowman's Parque Central opens on former Valencia rail yard
by Stu Robarts | 17 Oct 2019
The first phase of a new 23ha (2,500,000sq ft) urban park designed by landscape architect Gustafson Porter + Bowman and built on the site of former railway lines and industrial land has opened in Valencia, Spain. Parque Central is part of a larger project in the city that will see train lines moved underground to free up a total of 66ha (7,100,000sq ft) of land. The reclaimed land will be
Vietnamese folklore inspires aquarium by Legacy Entertainment
by Andy Knaggs | 16 Oct 2019
Legacy Entertainment has designed a 27,500sq m (296,000sq ft) aquarium called The Sea Shell for Phu Quoc island, Vietnam. The building will open early in 2020. Habitats will provide animals with ample space to ensure their wellbeing, while the life support systems will be provided by Advanced Aquarium Technologies. The interior experience, created by designer James Hampton, will take guests on a journey through five galleries, each relating to different
Saniya Kantawala's homely Mumbai restaurant draws on warm materials and earth tones
by Stu Robarts | 16 Oct 2019
Saniya Kantawala has designed Mannrangi, a 2,100sq ft (195sq m) restaurant in Mumbai, India, that was conceived to celebrate Indian cuisine and culture in a homely, communal setting. To foster the feeling of cosiness, a mixture of warm materials and earthy tones were used. Kantawala also used fabric as a key design element, with linen, jute, cotton and polyester providing contemporary, earthy decorative touches. Off-white plastered walls provide a basis
Arup reveals designs for 2022 Commonwealth Games stadium
by Tom Walker | 16 Oct 2019
Arup has revealed its designs for the redevelopment of the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, UK, which will be the focal point of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. If accepted, the £70m ($90m, €81m) plan will see the stadium become a high-quality venue for diverse sporting, leisure, community and cultural events. Among proposals are plans to build a new western stand, replacing the Main, Knowles and Nelson stands and to add new
Scott Carver Architects to renovate oldest theatre in New South Wales, Australia
by Stu Robarts | 15 Oct 2019
The Victoria Theatre, the oldest in the Australian state of New South Wales, is to undergo a renovation led by Scott Carver Architects aimed at conserving its heritage features and reviving it as a venue for live performances. Located in the city of Newcastle, the theatre is expected to cost around AU$11.5m (US$7.8m, €7m, £6.1m) to refurbish, which is said to be more than justifiable investment from a business perspective.
Stefano Boeri Architetti-led team wins Genoa's Parco del Ponte job
by Stu Robarts | 15 Oct 2019
A team comprised of Stefano Boeri Architetti, Inside Outside and Metrogramma Milano have won a design competition for the regeneration of an area of Genoa beneath Renzo Piano 's new Morandi Bridge. The original bridge collapsed in August last year, killing 43 people. The Parco del Ponte competition was launched in March to regenerate the local area and create new public services, including a park, sports facilities, a public square,
MoMA's $450m Diller Scofidio + Renfro renovation is unveiled
by Stu Robarts | 15 Oct 2019
After a five-year, $450m (€409m, £356m) renovation project split over two phases, New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) reopens next week with 102,000sq ft (9,500sq m) of new gallery and public space. Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, working with Gensler, the renovation has seen the building's footprint increased to 708,000sq ft (66,000sq m), with gallery space increased by around a third to 166,000sq ft (15,000sq m). There's a
Alchemist restaurant Copenhagen by Studio Duncalf features digital ceiling to create immersive experiences for diners
by Stu Robarts | 14 Oct 2019
London-based interior design firm Studio Duncalf has designed a new Alchemist restaurant in a former industrial warehouse that previously housed boat-building and set design workshops in Copenhagen, Denmark. Studio Duncalf split the 2,500sq m (27,000sq ft) warehouse into a number of different rooms, with the aim of "taking the diner on a journey through a sequence of different spaces each with a different ambience." Guests enter the restaurant through a
Oregon Coast Aquarium to build marine rehabilitation centre in $18m renovation
by Stu Robarts | 14 Oct 2019
The Oregon Coast Aquarium is raising a targeted $18.2m (€16.5m, £14.4m) to remodel its facilities, improve its learning experience and build a marine rehabilitation centre, with design work by Dangermond Keane Architecture and Walker Macy. Although the facility is only one of three in the Pacific Northwest that is authorised to provide critical care to endangered marine wildlife, it is was not purpose-built. Instead, it's current rehab centre is housed
One of world's largest glass panels provides workouts with a view in Invisible Studio-designed gym
by Stu Robarts | 14 Oct 2019
UK-based architects Invisible Studio, founded by Piers Taylor, have designed a 150sq m (1,600sq ft) gym for the Newt Hotel in Somerset that they say has one of the largest glass panels in the world. Measuring 15m (49ft) wide and 3.3m (10.8ft) high, the window is designed to give a clear and unbroken view of the garden over which it looks. The panel forms part of a bay the sides
David Adjaye's Ruby City art gallery has opened in Texas
by Stu Robarts | 14 Oct 2019
The Ruby City contemporary art centre, designed by British architect Sir David Adjaye, has opened in San Antonio, Texas. So-called because of the ruby red colour of its precast concrete exterior, the 14,000sq ft (1,300sq m) gallery houses more than 900 paintings, sculptures, installations and video works. Its design was inspired by the vision of the late collector and philanthropist Linda Pace and, in part, by the Spanish missions built
Sculptural shipwreck tower with observation deck planned for Prague
by Stu Robarts | 11 Oct 2019
Sculptor David Černý and architect Tomáš Císař from the studio Black n' Arch have designed a 135m ( 450ft)-tall tower for Prague shaped like an upended shipwreck with an observation deck at the top. Top Tower comprises a conventional high-rise tower with a base section that partially acts as a pedestal for the accompanying sculpture, which takes the form of a sunken ship's skeleton covered in seaweed. The sculpture is
Aerotel opens short-stay, nap-focused hotel inside Heathrow T3
by Stu Robarts | 11 Oct 2019
Airport hotel operator Aerotel has opened the first hotel inside London Heathrow Terminal 3. The new property has been designed for the convenience and comfort of late-night and early morning travellers. Aerotel London Heathrow is located steps away from check-in, a five-minute walk to the nearest bus station, six-minutes from the Heathrow Express and close to Terminals 2, 4 and 5. Guests are also able to book stays as short
From Wellington Bombers to Formula 1, Mather & Co and Cube Design create the Silverstone Experience
by Andy Knaggs | 11 Oct 2019
The Silverstone Experience, a journey through the home of British motor racing, is to open in a refurbished WW2 RAF hangar later this month. The £20m (US$24.6m, €22.3m) development has taken seven years to bring to fruition and included the restoration of the 4,000sq m (13,100sq ft) hangar. Led by architect Jane Lock-Smith of Cube Design, the project required more work than was initially expected, with the hangar having to
WDL Interior Architects designs 'UK's first mental health club' for Hero by Joe Gaunt
by Tom Walker | 11 Oct 2019
WDL Interior Architects have designed what is described as the "UK's first mental health club", with four separate training zones – athletic, cardio, rejuvenate and stronger. The 10,000sq ft (930sq m) Hero Training Club in Manchester has taken two years to design and build and has four studios variously equipped with facilities to run classes including boxing, HIIT, indoor cycling, circuits, combat training, yoga, pilates and barre. The zones are
Salient converts 90s plaza into boutique hotel in West Bengal
by Stu Robarts | 10 Oct 2019
Salient has converted a 1990s development called Swabhumi Plaza into a boutique hotel in Kolkata, West Bengal. The plaza was built to celebrate the heritage of Bengal through performance, food and culture. The new Swabhumi Raajkutir hotel has been designed in the style of a pre-independence, 19th century Bengali home to transport guests back to the Bengali Renaissance. The design theme for the property is based on a fictitious story
Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects design revealed for Mennello Museum expansion
by Stu Robarts | 10 Oct 2019
Newly unveiled designs Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects for a $20m (€18m, £16m), 40,000sq ft (3,700sq m) expansion of Florida's Mennello Museum of American Art show a mixture and merging of indoor and outdoor spaces. Integrated with the existing 12,000sq ft (1,100sq m) museum building, the new structure mixes spacious, naturally-lit indoor exhibition rooms with terraces, covered outdoor spaces, open concourses and pathways connecting them with the green and
Love is Enough converts old railway warehouse to social space
by Stu Robarts | 10 Oct 2019
New York-based studio Love is Enough has created a new social and cultural destination with spaces to lounge, work and eat in a former railway goods warehouse in Manchester, UK. Cultureplex, on the edge of the city's Northern Quarter, is described as "community centre for a modern city". At its heart is a multipurpose and communal central space that can be used by people throughout the day. The space is
Revamped Kinnick Stadium wrapped in breathable glass façade
by Stu Robarts | 09 Oct 2019
Kinnick Stadium, in the US state of Iowa, has undergone an $89m (€81m, £73) renovation designed by Neumann Monson Architects and HNTB that has increased its premium seating capacity and added a 14,000sq ft (1,300sq m) breathable glass façade to the building. The 655ft (200m)-long façade wraps the entire North End Zone of the stadium, shielding fans from the elements and providing ventilation on hot days via its shingled construction.
New Maldives resort villas will feature underwater bedrooms
by Megan Whitby | 09 Oct 2019
Pullman ’s Maldives Maamutaa Resort will open two villas with underwater bedrooms this November, allowing guests to see the island’s vibrant marine life up close during their stay. The resort, designed by Blink Design Group with interiors by Miaja Design Group, opened at the end of September and is spread across 18 hectares of landscaped garden in the Gaafu Alifu Atoll. It has 122 villas that are either beachside or
Macallan Distillery 'technically very impressive' says RSHP's Stephen Barrett
by Stu Robarts | 09 Oct 2019
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) partner Stephen Barrett has praised the work carried out by his firm on the RIBA Stirling Prize-nominated Macallan Distillery, saying it is "technically very impressive". Although the project did not win the top honour at last night's awards ceremony, it was awarded the 2019 RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award earlier in the week – and not without good reason, according to
Ultra-accessible sports facility planned by wheelchair accessible theme park Morgan's Wonderland
by Andy Knaggs | 08 Oct 2019
Morgan's Wonderland, a completely wheelchair accessible theme park in San Antonio, Texas, has announced that it is to build a new "ultra-accessible" sports complex in the city, providing 8,000sq ft (2,440sq m) of covered space for wheelchair sports. Designed by Luna Middleman Architects, the US$3m (€2.7m, £2.45m) Morgan's Wonderland Sports complex will offer fitness and competition for athletes with different abilities. Facilities will include 8,000 sq ft (745sq m) of
Collidanielarchitetto designs eclectic and experimental Covent Garden restaurant
by Stu Robarts | 08 Oct 2019
Collidanielarchitetto 's design of the first venue outside Italy for restaurant chain VyTA is an "eclectic and experimental" conversion of a space in London's Grade II listed Covent Garden Market. Collidanielarchitetto says the project draws on both contemporary design and the "architectural culture of the sixties." This has been translated to wooden walls and lacquered surfaces, inlays and friezes, glass and metals used throughout the space. The lower floor, where
BIG's waste-to-energy ski slope opens in Copenhagen
by Stu Robarts | 07 Oct 2019
This weekend saw the opening of Bjarke Ingels Group's (BIG) ski slope-topped waste-to-energy plant, CopenHill. The 41,000sq m (441,000sq ft) power plant in Copenhagen, also known as Amager Bakke, is said to be the cleanest in the world, incinerating waste and cleaning the smoke created to produce electricity for around 30,000 households and central heating for 72,000 households. Uniquely, though, it also features a variety of recreation and leisure facilities
company profile
Try cladmag for free!
Sign up with CLAD to receive our regular ezine, instant news alerts, free digital subscriptions to CLADweek, CLADmag and CLADbook and to request a free sample of the next issue of CLADmag.
sign up
features
features
cladkit product news
Pylon was first designed more than 20 years ago
Originally conceived in his metal workshop in the early 90's, the Pylon chair was Dixon's attempt to create the world's
...
The Tempano trays feature a state-of-the-art design that combines a linear slope with a high drainage rate
Duravit, a Germany-based bathroom fixtures company, has launched Tempano, a series of easy-to-install shower trays for the home. Available in
...
cladkit product news
Crown Sports Lockers installed rain of Nebraska Oak clothes lockers with RFID Digilocks in the changing rooms
Saunton Sands Hotel in Devon, UK, has completed a £2m expansion of its spa and wellness facilities. The upgrade included
...
The seaweed lamps were inspired by Edwards Anker's ethos of incorporating local and organic materials in her designs to give them a sense of place
Nina Edwards Anker, a Brooklyn-based designer and founder of architecture and design practice nea studio, has created a new collection
...
cladkit product news
The MEW Coffee Table is described as an investigation into the relationship between surface and structure
Zaha Hadid Design has partnered with Italian furniture design firm Sawaya & Moroni to create the Mew Coffee Table. The
...
The furniture uses plastic from recycled fishing nets
Mater, an ethical design brand based in Denmark, has launched a furniture collection made from plastic reclaimed from the ocean.
...
The system is designed to enable users to create multifunctional, adaptable pieces, where they are in complete control of the design and function of their furniture
British designer Paul Kelley has created a modular magnetic cube furniture system that enables users to create multifunctional, adaptable pieces,
...
