Jean Nouvel
JEAN NOUVEL
JEAN NOUVELJean Nouvel is a French architect who has designed
many modern style buildings in Europe, Asia, and North andSouth
America. He was born in the town ofFumel, France in 1945. His
parents were teachers and encouraged him to study the field of
language. At the age of 16, he became interested in the field of
art and architecture. In 1966, he applied for the Ecole des
Beaux-Arts school inBordeaux,France. He was turned down in an
entrance exam though. He later applied for the Ecole des Beaux-Arts
inParis,France, and was accepted there. He would later receive a
diploma in architecture from the school in 1972.To earn an income,
he would work with many firms in his architectural career. He would
first work with architects Claude Parent and Paul Virilio from 1967
to 1970 during his time in school. At the age of 25, after
graduating architecture school, he partnered with architect Franois
Seigneur. During this time, Nouvel would become an influential
leader in many architectural movements and debates inFrance. One of
them that he co-founded was the Mars 1976 movement.In 1981, he won
a competition to build the LInstitut Du Monde Arabe (Arab world
Institute) inParis,France. This is one of his most famous works.
After completion in 1987, he became internationally known and
famous.During the 1980s, Nouvel would work with many of his
partners. In 1985 with partners Emmanuel Blamont, Jean-Marc Ibos
and Mirto Vitart made Jean Nouvel et Associs. Currently he works
for his own firm, Ateliers Jean Nouvel. Today its one of the
largest inFrancewith over 140 people and conducts projects over
many parts of the world.
Prizes and Awards:1987 - Grand Prix dArchitecture (for his whole
body of work).1987 - Equerre dArgen (for minimalist style of
design)2000 - Aga Kahn Award for Architecture (for his design of
the Institutdu monde Arab).2005 - Wolf Prize in Arts (for his
architecture in general).2008 - Pritzker Prize (for completing over
200 buildings that were architecturally advanced).
Philosophy and Style:Since Nouvel has started his own office, he
has made a new architecture of all his own. He prefers to separate
from the styles of modernism and post modernism. Whenever he
approaches a project, he is always clear minded with no previous
thoughts in his mind.Nouvel prefers to stray from the traditional
boundaries of architecture. He also believes in the use of organic
materials and looks with his architecture. Many of his buildings
are designed to curve with the natural landscape. Most of his
buildings use the concepts of transparency, shadow, and light to
add to the overall effect of style that much of his architecture
displays.
Nouvel's biggest idea is what he calls DEMATERIALIZATION", the
"interplay of light and materiality", which "gives the impression
that materials have vanished". He talks of "fragile effects",
"fleeting moments" and "precise mists" in his work.
NYC CHELSEA RESIDENCESan apartment block in Chelsea, New York,
with every glass panel of the curtain wall tilted at a different
angle.The project features over 1,650 different window panes across
its curved surface.With mechanized oculi and veils of glass and
steel, the building was hailed as an unconventional masterpiece
that encouraged people to not only accept modern architecture in a
historic setting, but to be thrilled by it.
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PHILHARMONIC HALL, PARISIn April 2007 Jean Nouvel the celebrated
French architect was asked to undertake the prestigious
Philharmonic Hall project in Paris. The new building is set to
become one of the great landmarks in a city already so full of
culture and architectural achievement.The 2400-seatvenue, located
in the Parc de la Villette on the north-east edge of Paris,is now
set to become the world's most expensive concert hall after
spiralling costs required the city and the state to sink an extra
51 million into ArchitectJean Nouvelsproject.
COLOGNE TOWER GERMANYis a 44-storey, 148.5m (487ft) (165.48m
(542.9ft) including antenna) office skyscraper in the
Kln-Neustadt-Nord district ofCologne,Germany.Construction of the
tower lasted from June 1999 to November 2001, and it is the tallest
building in the cityThe reinforced concrete building was built in
cooperation between the architectural firm Kohl & Kohl and the
Parisian architectJean Nouvel. It contains a suspended centre core
and the edge between floors to Pendelsttzen. The floor plan of the
tower is divided into three areas, with an 18-metre (59ft) mast to
the upper end.
ONE NEW CHANGE, LONDONIt is a major office and retail
development inLondon, United Kingdom.It comprises 560,000 square
feet (52,000m2) of floor space, including 220,000 square feet
(20,000m2) of retail space and 330,000 square feet (31,000m2) of
office spaceand is the only largeshopping centrein theCity of
London, the historic nucleus and modern financial centre of London.
It cost 500 million to build and was completed in October 2010.The
development's sensitive location opposite St. Paul's Cathedral and
its modern architecture led to some controversy during its planning
and construction, including criticism fromPrince Charles.It has a
kind of glazing with a matt and grainy surface, which is intended
to be a stone-like while still so glassy.
LINSTITUT DU MONDE ARABE(ARAB WORLD INSTITUTE)A 25,000 sq. m. of
museum, auditorium, conference and meeting rooms, library,
cafeteria, and offices.Aluminum and Glass are the major
materialsBuilt in 1987, it is considered a technological
masterpiece.Described as a theatric and imaginative interpretation
of Arab Craft coupled with advanced building technology igniting
the interest of people.It is surrounded with 27,000 diaphragms,
organized in 113 panels that operates like of a camera lens.These
diaphragms are part of the cooling system of the building.They are
controlled electronically from a photovoltaic sensor which permits
10 to 30 percent daylight, thus keeping the temperature inside the
building favorable.
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