Jean Nouvel
(1945– ) Born in Fumel, France. Lives and works in Paris.
Initially, as an assistant to architect Claude Parent (1923-2016) and inspired by urbanist and essayist Paul Virilio (1932-2018), Jean Nouvel opened his first office in 1970. The constantly renewed originality of his projects worldwide has contributed to forging his international reputation. Through a contextual approach, he designs buildings that leave an indelible mark on the cities they are constructed in. Recognition for his work has resulted in numerous awards in France and abroad, including the prestigious Pritzker Prize, which he was awarded in 2008.
His current major projects include Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain - Palais Royal (Paris), Opera House (Shenzhen), Phoenix Island (Zhoushan), Aviation Academy (Singapore), cultural complex "Le Jardin des Artistes" (Qingdao), Tencent Headquarters (Guangzhou), Ecotone - Antibes (Sophia Antipolis), Sharaan Desert Resort (Al-Ula), National Art Museum of China NAMOC (Beijing), Palace (Geneva).
"The main characteristic of the site to be built is to border Matarazzo Park and to become an extension of the park today. The tower becomes a multiplication of planted planes, tree-lined terraces welcoming the same essences as the park. The architecture, the materials of the inhabited structures belong to the Brazilian soil, to Brazil, to the land of redwood. This architecture speaks of the past, the present, and the future. Of the past, as the scale and techniques of wooden constructions have endured through the centuries. Today, by its choice and its desire to belong in a relationship of scale and friendship to the dated brick and tile constructions of the hospital, almost anachronistic. Finally, tomorrow, to announce that the fate of living at height is not to forget the materials, the variations, the domestic landscapes that have gently and complicitly accompanied the lives of multiple generations, but, on the contrary, to invent the hanging gardens of São Paulo with lush vegetation and bold views."
Find out more at: jeannouvel.com