On Tuesday, the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design and the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies announced Santiago Calatrava as the winner of the 2015 European Prize for Architecture.
The honor is awarded every year to architects who have “blazoned a new path and direction for an architecture that is deeply humane and committed to forward the principles of European humanism,” according to The Chicago Athenaeum’s website.
Calatrava, who has a background in both architecture and engineering, is known for his curved structures made of steel and concrete.
"His buildings are not just 'building,'" said Christian Narkiewicz-Laine, the President of The Chicago Athenaeum, in a statement. "They are powerful works of art inspired by a master's gifted hand and sculpted by a superior, critical eye."
A few of his projects include the Stadelholfen Railway Station in Zurich; the Peace Bridge in Calgary, Canada; the Milwaukee Art Museum in Milwaukee; Turning Torso, in Malmö, Sweden; and the City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia, Spain.
Calatrava will receive the award at a ceremony at the World Trade Center in New York on November 17. Also, a catalog of his works will be published by the Metropolitan Arts Press.
Milwaukee Art Museum. Photo: John Picken/Wikimedia Commons
Turning Torso. Photo: Väsk/Wikimedia Commons
Calgary's Peace Bridge. Photo: davebloggs007/Creative Commons
Related Stories
Transit Facilities | Mar 25, 2015
Kengo Kuma selected to design new Paris Metro station
The new station will serve as a hub to connect Paris' northern suburbs with the core.
Green | Mar 25, 2015
WELL Building Standard introduced in China
The WELL Building Standard is a performance-based system for measuring, certifying and monitoring features that impact human health and wellbeing, through air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort, and mind.
High-rise Construction | Mar 24, 2015
Timber high-rise residential complex will tower over Stockholm waterfront
The four towers, 20 stories each, will be made entirely out of Swedish pine, from frame to façade.
Higher Education | Mar 23, 2015
Hong Kong university building will feature bioclimatic façade
The project's twin-tower design opens the campus up to the neighboring public green space, while maximizing the use of summer winds for natural ventilation.
Religious Facilities | Mar 23, 2015
Is nothing sacred? Seattle church to become a restaurant and ballroom
A Seattle-based real estate developer plans to convert a historic downtown building, which for more than a century has served as a church sanctuary, into a restaurant with ballroom space.
Government Buildings | Mar 23, 2015
SOM leads planning for Egypt’s new $45 billion capital city
To alleviate overcrowding and congestion in Cairo, the Egyptian government is building a new capital from scratch.
BIM and Information Technology | Mar 23, 2015
Skanska hosts three-week 'hackathon' to find architect for Seattle tower development
Searching for a nimble, collaborative design firm for its 2&U tower project in Seattle, the construction giant ditches the traditional RFQ/RFP process for a hackathon-inspired competition.
Healthcare Facilities | Mar 23, 2015
Can advanced elevator technology take vertical hospitals to the next level?
VOA's Douglas King recalls the Odyssey project and ponders vertical transportation in high-rise healthcare design.
Healthcare Facilities | Mar 22, 2015
New Joplin, Mo., hospital built to tornado-resistant standards
The new hospital features a window and frame system that can protect patients from winds of up to 250 mph.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Mar 19, 2015
Populous design wins competition for UK's most sustainable arena
The live-concert venue will seat an audience of 12,000, which the firm says will be masked by “the atmosphere and intimacy of a 4,000-seat amphitheatre.”