Architecture News Frei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker Prize By Anna Fixsen Frei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeEntrance Arch at the Federal Garden Exhibition, 1957, Cologne, GermanyPhoto © Atelier Frei Otto WarmbronnFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeDance Pavilion at the Federal Garden Exhibition, 1957, Cologne, GermanyPhoto © Atelier Frei Otto WarmbronnFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeThe 1967 International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67, 1967, Montreal, CanadaPhoto © Atelier Frei Otto WarmbronnFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeThe 1967 International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67, 1967, Montreal, CanadaPhoto © BurkhardtFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeJapan Pavilion, Expo 2000 Hannover, 2000, Hannover, GermanyPhoto by Hiroyuki HiraiFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeRoofing for main sports facilities in the Munich Olympic Park for the 1972 Summer Olympics, 1968–1972, Munich, GermanyPhoto © Atelier Frei Otto WarmbronnFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeRoofing for main sports facilities in the Munich Olympic Park for the 1972 Summer Olympics, 1968–1972, Munich, GermanyPhoto © Atelier Frei Otto WarmbronnFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeRoofing for main sports facilities in the Munich Olympic Park for the 1972 Summer Olympics, 1968–1972, Munich, GermanyPhoto © Atelier Frei Otto WarmbronnFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeRoofing for main sports facilities in the Munich Olympic Park for the 1972 Summer Olympics, 1968–1972, Munich, GermanyPhoto © Atelier Frei Otto WarmbronnFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeFrei OttoPhoto © 2015 The Pritzker Architecture Prize / The Hyatt FoundationFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeRoof for the Multihalle (multi-purpose hall) in Mannheim, 1970–1975, Mannheim, GermanyPhoto © Atelier Frei Otto WarmbronnFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeRoof for the Multihalle (multi-purpose hall) in Mannheim, 1970–1975, Mannheim, GermanyPhoto © Atelier Frei Otto WarmbronnFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeRoof for the Multihalle (multi-purpose hall) in Mannheim, 1970–1975, Mannheim, GermanyPhoto © Atelier Frei Otto WarmbronnFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeOtto Residence (with Rob Krier), 1967, Warmbronn, Germany, near StuttgartPhoto © Atelier Frei Otto WarmbronnFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeOtto Residence (with Rob Krier), 1967, Warmbronn, Germany, near StuttgartPhoto © Atelier Frei Otto WarmbronnFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeMusic Pavilion at the Federal Garden Exhibition, 1955, Kassel, GermanyPhoto © Atelier Frei Otto WarmbronnFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeFrei Otto at Expo 67 in MontrealPhoto © von SchlaichFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeModel for the Lath Dome at the German Building Exhibition, 1962, Essen, GermanyPhoto © Atelier Frei Otto WarmbronnFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeHall at the International Garden Exhibition, 1963, Hamburg, GermanyPhoto © Atelier Frei Otto WarmbronnFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeLarge Umbrellas at the Federal Garden Exhibition, 1971, Cologne, GermanyPhoto © Atelier Frei Otto WarmbronnFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeUmbrellas for Pink Floyd’s 1977 concert tour of the United StatesPhoto © Atelier Frei Otto WarmbronnFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeForm-finding study for the support of textile membranes and rope netsPhoto © Atelier Frei Otto WarmbronnFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeDiplomatic Club, 1980, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaPhoto © Atelier Frei Otto WarmbronnFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeDiplomatic Club Heart Tent, 1980, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaPhoto © Atelier Frei Otto WarmbronnFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizeAviary in the Munich Zoo at Hellabrunn, 1979-1980, Munich (Hellabrunn), GermanyPhoto © Atelier Frei Otto WarmbronnFrei Otto Wins 2015 Pritzker PrizePhoto © Atelier Frei Otto Warmbronn March 10, 2015 Roofing for main sports facilities in the Munich Olympic Park for the 1972 Summer Olympics, 1968–1972, Munich, Germany German architect Frei Otto, renowned for his lightweight, tensile structures, today was named the winner of the 2015 Pritzker Architecture Prize. The abrupt announcement came a day after Otto died at the age of 89 in Germany. “Throughout his life, Frei Otto has produced imaginative, fresh, unprecedented spaces, and constructions,” wrote the Jury in their citation. “He has also created knowledge. Herein resides his deep influence: not in forms to be copied, but through the paths that have been opened by his research and discoveries.” Otto learned of his award earlier this year when the prize’s executive director, Martha Thorne, travelled to his home in Warmbronn, Germany, a city near Stuttgart. Otto’s works include a diverse array of structures and installations, which broadened the architectural possibilities of grid shells, pneumatic structures, canopies, and lattices. He is best known for his cable net structure for the German Pavilion at Expo 67 in Montreal, and an expansive roofing structure for the 1972 Munich Olympics, which stretched over the Game’s stadium, pool, and public areas. Like his unconventional architecture, Otto’s architectural training took an extraordinary path: he was initially prevented from studying architecture because he was drafted into the German army during World War II. As a prisoner of war in France, Otto worked as a camp architect and learned to work frugally with minimal materials. He later returned to study architecture after the war at the Technical University of Berlin, and in 1952, he founded his own office in that city. Otto, who was fascinated by natural forms—from soap bubbles to spider webs—was known for his collaborative and wide-ranging approach to research and design and frequently worked with philosophers, scientists, and historians. In 2000, Otto partnered with Shigeru Ban (the recipient of the 2014 Pritzker Architecture Prize) to design the Japanese pavilion at the 2000 Hannover Expo. He served as a professor at the University of Stuttgart from 1964 until 1991 and published numerous works on architecture and engineering. Over the years, Otto received many accolades including the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (1980), the Grand Prize of the German Association of Architects and Engineers (1996) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Gold Medal (2005). “I will use whatever time is left to me to keep doing what I have been doing, which is to help humanity,” Otto said when he was alerted of the news earlier this year. “You have here a happy man.” KEYWORDS: Pritzker Prize Share This Story Looking for a reprint of this article? From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today! Anna Fixsen was a staff writer and editor for Architectural Record from 2013 to 2017, during which time she covered topics ranging from new projects to human rights, and edited Firms to Watch—a special section devoted to emerging architecture firms. Post a comment to this article Name* E-mail (will not be displayed)* Subject Comment* Report Abusive Comment Thank you for helping us to improve our forums. 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