Dominique Perrault
Figure of French architecture, Dominique Perrault gained international
recognition after having won the competition for the National French library in
1989 at the age of 36.
This project marked the starting point of many other public and private
commissions abroad, such as The Velodrome and Olympic swimming pool of Berlin
(1992), the extension of the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg in (1996),
the Olympic tennis centre in Madrid (2002), the campus of Ewha’s University in
Seoul (2004), the Fukoku Tower in Osaka, Japan (2010) or the Arganzuela
footbridge in Madrid, Spain.
Ongoing projects include works as the Piazza Garibaldi in Naples, the congress
and exhibition hall of Leon in Spain, the DC towers in Vienna, Austria, the
rehabilitation / extension of the former mechanical engineering halls and the
central library and the construction of the Teaching Bridge of the Ecole
Polytechnique Fédérale in Lausanne, Switzerland, as well as the Grand Theater
in Albi, the Dobrée Museum in Nantes, France, and the redevelopement of the
Dufour Pavillion in the Château de Versailles.
For Dominique Perrault, the relentless transformation of the territories has
resulted in an increase in their complexity, their differences and density.
The new concept of territory can no longer be satisfied with a definition of
one architecture, circumscribed by the summarized terminology of “wall”,
“door”, façade” and “roof”. Architecture should be instead conceived as an
integral part of the landscape.
Glass, concrete or metal would in this case no longer be the elements that
build architecture, but the territory as it exists, as we relate to it.
As his approach is to transform the landscape and territories, Dominique
Perrault’s work as an architect is strictly related to his role as an urban
planner.
His urban studies in France and abroad help describe the continuity and
consistency of his method: the development of the Garonne river banks in
Bordeaux and in Ile de Nantes, the business district in Pudong in Shanghai,
China (1992), the UNIMETAL site in Caen (1994), the Donau City center, the
Danube river bank in Vienna, Austria (2002) the construction of the new
European neighborhood and business center in Sofia, Bulgaria and the new FSS
train station district in Locarno and the Switzerland (2009).
Perrault, member of the Grand Paris scientific council, was appointed curator
of the French Pavilion in the 12th Architecture Biennale in Venice (2010),
being the subject of the installation METROPOLIS?
Dominique Perrault received many prestigious prizes and awards, including the
AFEX Award for the Ewha Womans University in Korea and the “Grande Médaille
d’or d’Architecture” from the Académie d’Architecture in 2010, the Mies van der
Rohe prize (1997), the French national Grand Prize for Architecture (1993) and
the Equerre d’argent prize for the Hotel Industriel Berlier (1989).
The body of his work was assembled in a monographic exhibition: “Dominique
Perrault Architecture” exhibited at the Centre Georges Pompidou in 2008 and
later made and itinerant show that travelled to Madrid (ICO Foundation, 2009)
and Tokyo (Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, 2010).
AWARDS
2010
Grande médaille d’or de l’Académie d’Architecture, awarded for his achievements
Afex prize for EWHA Womans University, Seoul, Korea Observatorio D´ACHTALL
prize, Architecture category, Spain Prix de la pyramide de Vermeil, innovation
category for, Vérose building in Lille Pyramide d’argent, business building
category, Fédération des Promoteurs-Constructeurs (FPC), for the Onix office
building in Lille, France Pyramide d’argent, Innovation category, Fédération
des Promoteurs-Constructeurs (FPC), for the housing office and business
building in Lille, France Pyramide d’argent, Estate business category, Fédération
des Promoteurs-Constructeurs (FPC), award for the Onix offices building in
Lille, France Pyramide d’argent, Innovation category, Fédération des
Promoteurs-Constructeurs (FPC), award for the mixed use building in Lille,
France
2009
American Institute of Architects, AIA Design Award for the international
competition for the Law School Building in Baltimore, USA Green Good Design,
Environment / Landscape Architecture Award for Ewha Womans University, Seoul,
South Korea European Steel Design Awards 2009, award for the Court of Justice
of the European Communities, Luxembourg Concours Construction Acier 2009, award
for the Court of Justice of the European Communities, Luxembourg
2008
Seoul Metropolitan Architecture Award 2008, first prize for the Ewha Womans
University, Seoul, South Korea Reigate Society Award 2008, award for the Priory
Park Pavilion, Reigate, United Kingdom
2006
«New Alpine Architecture» Award 2006, for the M-Preis supermarket in Zirl
Dedalo - Minosse International Prize, special award for the town hall in
Innsbruck
2005
AIA Maryland best industrial building, for GKD factory in Cambridge, USA
2003
BTV Bauherrenpreis, Austria (architect/client) for the M-Preis supermarket in
Wattens II BTV Bauherrenpreis, Austria (architect/client) for the town hall in
Innsbruck
2002
«World Architecture Award», first prize for best public building, for the Media
Library in Vénissieux
2001
«World Architecture Award», first prize for best industrial building, for the
APLIX factory
2000
First prize of the “office furniture” AIT competition for the French National
Library Reading-Chair
1999
German award of architecture, second prize, for the Velodrome and Olympic
Swimming Pool in Berlin
1997
Mies van der Rohe Pavilion Award for European architecture, conferred by the
Foundation Mies van der Rohe and the European Parliament for the French
National Library1996 Special mention, Constructec-Prize
1996
European prize of industrial architecture for the water-processing plant SAGEP
1993
Great National Prize of Architecture
1992
Constructa Preis’ 92 : European prize for the Hôtel Industriel Berlier
1990
First prize AMO (architect/client) for the Hôtel Industriel Berlier First prize
of the Moniteur magazine for the Hôtel Industriel Berlier Silver medal for town
planning for the French National Library
1984
First prize AMO (architect/client), for the factory Someloir
1983
Winner of the «Album of Young Architecture», assigned by the Ministry of
Housing Winner of the «Programme for New Architecture» (PAN XII)"
CHRONOLOGY
1953
Born in Clermont-Ferrand, France
1973
Enters school of architecture and attends the workshop of Martin van Treck
1978
Diploma in architecture (Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris)
1979
Higher diploma in town planning (Ecole supérieure des Ponts et Chaussée, Paris)
1980
Postgraduate degree in History (Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales,
Paris)
1981
Opening of his office in Paris and first built work: factory Someloir in
Châteaudun, France
1983
Winner of the ‘Program for New Architecture’ (PAN XII)
1984
First notable project: ESIEE (academy for engineers of electronics and
electrical engineering) for the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Paris -
Marne-la-Vallée
1989
Winner of the international competition for the French National Library in
Paris
1990
Completion of the Hôtel Industriel Jean-Baptiste Berlier in Paris. As its first
tenant Dominique Perrault is setting up his office to build the National
Library. The building receives the « l’Equerre d’argent» in 1990 and the
«Constructa Prize» in 1992.
1992
Winner of the international competition for the Velodrome and Olympic Swimming
Pool in Berlin, Germany Opening of an office in Berlin
1993
Great National Prize of Architecture, France
1995
Inauguration of the French National Library by François Mitterrand on March 23
1997
Mies van der Rohe Pavilion Award for European Architecture, conferred by the
Foundation Mies van der Rohe and the European Parliament for the French
National Library First direct order: factory Aplix in Cellier-sur-Loire,
France, which receives the «World Architecture Award» in Hong Kong, first
prize for best industrial building in 2001
2000
Opening of an office in Luxembourg for the extension of the Court of Justice of
the European Communities
2002
Winner of the international competition for the Olympic Tennis Cente, Madrid,
Spain Opening of the Town Hall of Innsbruck and winner of the competition for
the Urban planning of Donau-City center in Vienna
2003
Winner of the international competition for the New Building of the State
Academic Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg, Russia
2004
Winner of the international competition for the New EWHA Womans University
Campus Center, Seoul, Korea
2006
Creation of DPA Spain
2007
New studio in the 11th arrondissement in Paris.
2008
Winner of the international competition for the San Pellegrino thermal baths,
San Pellegrino, Italia. Inauguration of the Ewha Womans University and the
Court of Justice of the European Communities Inauguration of the exhibition
«DPA Dominique Perrault Architecture» at the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris,
France
2009
Inauguration of the NH-fieramilano Hotel in Milan, Italy Inauguration of the
Olympic Tennis Center in Madrid, Spain Winner of the international competition
for the Sofia Secondary Center, Bulgaria Winner of the international
competition for the development of the new district of the FSS station in
Locarno, Switzerland Winner of the international competition for the Albi
Grand Theater, France
2010
Winner of the international competition for the Dobrée Museum, Nantes, France
Curator of the French Pavilion, which theme is METROPOLIS?, for the 12th Venice
Architecture Biennale. AFEX Award, for French architecture worldwide, for the
Ewha Womans University project in Seoul, South Korea, «Grande Médaille d’or
d’Architecture» from the Académie d’Architecture The solo exhibition of DPA
was showed at the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, from 23th October to 26th
December 2010
2011
Inaguration of the Arganzuela footbridge in Madrid, Spain Winner of the
international competition for the Rehabilitation/ extension of the mechanical
engineering halls and the central library of the Ecole Polythechnique Fédérale
de Lausanne Winner of the international competition for the rehabilitation of
the Dufour Pavillion in the Château de Versailles, France"