Architect from Burkina Faso Wins Pritzker Prize

Architect from Burkina Faso Wins Pritzker Prize

Architect Diébédo Francis Kéré of Burkina Faso has won the Pritzker Prize, the world's highest recognition in building design.

The 56-year-old Kéré was honored Tuesday for his "pioneering" designs, said Tom Pritzker, He is chairman of the Hyatt Foundation, which awards the prize. The architect's works, he continued, are "sustainable to the earth and its inhabitants — in lands of extreme scarcity¹."

Kéré is a citizen of both Burkina Faso and Germany and lives in Berlin. On Tuesday, he said he was the "happiest man on this planet" to become the 51st recipient² of the famous yearly prize.

Kéré is famed for building schools, health centers, housing, and other and public spaces across Africa. His buildings can be found in his homeland, as well as in Benin, Mali, Kenya, Mozambique, Togo and Sudan.

"He is equally architect and servant, improving upon the lives and experiences of countless³ citizens in a region of the world that is at times forgotten," Pritzker said.

Kéré won special praise for his 2001 project to build a primary school in Gando, the village where he was born.

Unlike traditional school buildings, which use concrete, Kere's inventive design combined local clay and cement to form bricks. The material helps keep the building cool in a hot environment.

A wide, raised metal roof protects the building from rain and helps air flow.

Kéré involved the local community throughout the design and building of the school. The number of students at the school increased from 120 to 700, the Hyatt Foundation said in its release.

The success of the project saw the creation of an extension, a library and teachers' housing in later years.

Kéré "empowers" communities through the process of architecture, the Pritzker statement added. It praised Kere additionally for loyalty⁴ to social justice and community empowerment.

Kéré is the first African to be honored with the Pritzker. In his native Burkina Faso, citizens celebrated⁵ the win.

"In the current pain of the security crisis, our country must remember that it is also the nation of exceptional men like Francis Kéré ," said Ra-Sablga Seydou Ouedraogo, of the non-profit Free Afrik.

Nebila Aristide Bazie, head of the Burkina Faso architects' council, said the award "highlights the African architect and the people of Burkina Faso."

In 2017, Kéré designed the Serpentine⁶ Pavilion in London's Hyde Park. The highly sought contract is given to a world-famous architect every year. He was also one of the architects behind Geneva's International Museum of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.

"I am totally convinced that everyone deserves quality," he said in his office, where he celebrated his award with his team. "I'm always thinking how I can get the best for my clients," Kéré added, noting that his clients include people who can pay and those who cannot.

He said, "This is my way of doing things, of using my architecture to create structures to serve people, let's say to serve humanity."

Words in This Story

architect –n. a person who designs buildings

sustainable –adj. involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources

region –n. a part of a country, of the world, etc., that is different or separate from other parts in some way

client –n. a person who employs a professional person or organization for services

library –n. a place where books, magazines, and other materials (such as videos and musical recordings) are available for people to use or borrow

concrete –n. a hard, strong material that is used for building and made by mixing cement, sand, and broken rocks with water

clay –n. a heavy, sticky material from the earth that is made into different shapes and that becomes hard when it is baked or dried

cement –n. a soft gray powder that is mixed with water and other substances to make concrete

inhabitant –n. a person or animal that lives in a particular place

scarcity –n. a very small supply of something

1 scarcity   

n.缺乏，不足，萧条

参考例句：

• The scarcity of skilled workers is worrying the government.熟练工人的缺乏困扰着政府。
• The scarcity of fruit was caused by the drought.水果供不应求是由于干旱造成的。

2 recipient   

a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器

参考例句：

• Please check that you have a valid email certificate for each recipient. 请检查是否对每个接收者都有有效的电子邮件证书。
• Colombia is the biggest U . S aid recipient in Latin America. 哥伦比亚是美国在拉丁美洲最大的援助对象。

3 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

4 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

5 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

6 serpentine   

adj.蜿蜒的，弯曲的

参考例句：

• One part of the Serpentine is kept for swimmers.蜿蜒河的一段划为游泳区。
• Tremolite laths and serpentine minerals are present in places.有的地方出现透闪石板条及蛇纹石。