Catalan architecture studio RCR Arquitectes have been awarded the 2017 Pritzker Architecture Prize, the industry?s highest accolade. The Spanish architects Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem, and Ramon Vilalta claimed the prize?s 39th crown this month and are only the second Spanish firm to be awarded the honor, following Rafael Moneo in 1996. Based in Olot, Catalunya, the practice was founded in 1988 and describes itself as a ?universe of shared creativity,? working across three branches?RCR Arquitectes, the architecture practice, RCR Lab-A, the research arm of the firm, and RCR Bunka Fundació Privada, the firm?s foundation which encourages a thoughtful analysis of arts, culture, and architecture.
The announcement naming the small Spanish studio as the winners of the coveted prize was a surprise for many in the architectural community, as they are a relatively obscure name in an industry where big hitters like Peter Zumthor, Shigeru Ban, and Rem Koolhaas have previously been named as laureates. Their work is characterized by a finesse of materiality and a sensitive engagement with its context, which reflects strongly in the geographic location of their office in the volcanic foothills outside Barcelona, with the imposing Pyrenees as a backdrop. This relative isolation is echoed in the firm?s offices, which act as something of an intellectual retreat that encourages cross-pollination of ideas to generate a specific response to each architectural project.
The Pritzker Prize jury ...