2022 Pritzker Architecture Prize Goes to Diébédo Francis Kéré

Diébédo Francis Kéré, an architect, educator, and social activist, has been named the Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate for 2022.

Francis Kéré, an architect residing in Berlin who was born in Gando, Burkina Faso, empowers and changes communities through design. His commitment to social justice and involvement, as well as the wise use of local materials to connect and adapt to the natural climate, led him to work in impoverished countries with limited resources and infrastructure.

Gando Primary School laid the groundwork for Kéré's philosophy. His response necessitated a two-pronged approach: a physical and contemporary design for a building capable of combating high heat and low illumination while working with restricted finances. The project's success resulted in an increase in the school's student body from 120 to 700 pupils, as well as the development of Teachers' Housing, an Extension, and a Library.

His work in primary and secondary schools sparked the creation of a slew of new institutions, each displaying sensitivity to bioclimatic conditions and local sustainability. The Burkina Faso Institute of Technology's cooling clay wall's unique prices help to speed up the construction process. Overhanging eucalyptus was recycled to line the angled corrugated metal roofs, which was deemed wasteful due to its low shade properties and depletion of minerals from the soil.

Kéré's upbringing and experiences have affected both his symbolically charged creations and his work in Gando outside of Africa. The Serpentine Pavilion's central design, as well as its detachable yet curved walls made up of triangular indigo modules, are inspired by the shape of a tree. The Benin National Assembly, which is now under construction in a public park, is inspired by the palaver tree. People can congregate at the base of the structure in the magnificent shade while parliament sessions on the inside.

Several of Kéré's built works may be found in Burkino Faso, Mali, Togo, Kenya, Mozambique, Togo, and Sudan. He also built pavilions and exhibits in Denmark, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

In 1998, Kéré established the Kéré Foundation to assist the people of Gando through project development, partnerships, and fundraising; then in 2005, he established Kéré Architecture in Berlin, Germany. Kéré, a dual citizen of Burkina Faso and Germany, is the Pritzker Architecture Prize's 51st Laureate.