We were elated to see the news yesterday that Japanese architect Shigeru Ban was awarded the 2014 Pritzker Prize. Although the level of female representation remains diminutive, the recognition of Ban’s keen focus on disaster relief and temporary architecture displays a shift change in the profession. Michael Kimmelman beautifully articulates this shared sentiment in his recent New York Times article, which is well worth a read.
You don’t have to look to the prize. You can listen to students at architecture schools, many of them anxious to make an impact beyond the bubble of fading glamour in which stardom derives from designing costly art museum expansions and megaprojects for clients in Qatar and Dubai, built on the backs of indentured labor.
So the Pritzker is part of a trend. And by recognizing Mr. Ban’s socially conscious architecture, the award lends useful prestige to such work. The prize has been called a beauty contest. Now it’s a sign that good design and good works can both be rewarded.
Click here to read “With Paper Tubes, Building Social Change: Shigeru Ban, an Architect of Social Change,” online at NYTimes.com.
