The Pritzker Architecture Prize has released a special ceremony video, honoring the 2022 Laureate, socially-minded Burkinese architect, Diébédo Francis Kéré. 

The special ceremony was held at the Great Hall of the recently opened Marshall Building at London School of Economics and Political Science, designed by the 2020 Pritzker Laureates Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara of Grafton Architects.

Captured as a documentary-style video, the video includes full remarks by Francis Kéré, Alejandro Aravena and Tom Pritzker, Chairman of Hyatt Foundation.

Moreover, reflections by previous Laureates include the 2021 Pritzker Laureates Anne Lacaton, and Jean-Philippe Vassal, the 2020 Pritzker Laureates Yvonne Farrell And Shelley McNamara, the 2010 Pritzker Laureate Kazuyo Sejima, the 2008 Pritzker Laureate Jean Nouvel, the 2002 Pritzker Laureate Glenn Murcutt, the 2000 Pritzker Laureate Rem Koolhaas, the 1999 Pritzker Laureate Norman Foster.

In the video, Tom Pritzker, Chairman of Hyatt Foundation, presents the 2022 Pritzker Prize medallion to Francis Kéré, certifying the architect as Laureate for his extraordinary works with artistic quality for local communities and the poor. 

"He embodies the mission of the Pritzker Architecture Prize by designing buildings that present beauty, that present modesty, boldness and invention all at the same time,” stated Tom Pritzker during the ceremony.

In his acceptance speech, Kéré stated that “What the Pritzker Architecture Prize has awarded me is courage — courage to keep pushing and I want to encourage others, everyone, with the vision and mission to keep pushing as well." 

Video © The Hyatt Foundation/The Pritzker Architecture Prize.

"Climate crisis is real. Materials [are] limited"

"As long as I am capable, I will inject enthusiasm, joy and imagination into my architecture, into everything that you will commission of me, just like Africa has taught me to do," Francis Kéré added in the 51st Laureate of the Pritzker Prize, during the May 27th ceremony. 

He continued, “Dear friends, dear heroes, dear family, dear everyone — what are the challenges today? What is our big concern today, for everyone and for architects and for humans?."

Addressing the urgent needs of our age and global problems, the architect continues as follows: "What [is] so important to us? Climate crisis is real. Materials [are] limited...conflicts for resources will intensify everywhere around the world and population growth is imminent." 

"No matter where we are from, this should concern us," Kéré added.

Diébédo Francis Kéré, the 2022 Laureate for the Pritzker Architecture Prize. Image via screenshot from Pritzker Architecture Prize ceremony video

"Kéré’s humanitarianism and architectural ingenuity"

During the ceremony, Alejandro Aravena, Pritzker Jury Chair and 2016 Laureate, stated, "We’re expanding the toolbox." 

"We have challenges that we haven’t seen before so no wonder we will have to have new role models and who better than Francis, who[m] we want to celebrate today, to show us another possible path," Aravena added.

Reflections by previous Laureates, including Norman Foster, Rem Koolhaas, Glenn Murcutt, Jean Nouvel, Farrell and McNamara, Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal, attest to Kéré’s humanitarianism and architectural ingenuity. 

Lycée Schorge Secondary School, Koudougou, Burkina Faso, 2016. Image courtesy of Francis Kéré

Vassal describes the work of Kéré with "some words that we don’t choose so often in architecture: happiness, kindness, agility," while Lacaton continues, "as an architect, he values and he orchestrates the talent of the authors to make a collective work and this is very important and very new in architecture."

Jurors including Barry Bergdoll, Deborah Berke, Stephen Breyer, André Corrêa do Lago, Kazuyo Sejima (2010 Laureate) and Benedetta Tagliabue, alongside Manuela Lucá-Dazio, Executive Director, lend their insights into this year’s selection and the defining impact of the architect’s work.

Surgical Clinic and Health Centre, Léo, Burkina Faso, 2014. Image courtesy of Francis Kéré

Francis Kéré is the first African architect receiving this prestigious prize since the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize was launched in 1979.

Based in Berlin, Francis Kéré founded Kéré Architecture in 2005. The firm's project portfolio spans various sizes and types of projects, starting from civic infrastructure to temporary installations in Germany and across the African continent.

Adopting local and participatory design approach, the studio believes in the power of local knowledge and collaborative building processes that stimulate creativity and uniqueness to avoid of dominant norms. 

National Park of Mali, Bamako, Mali, 2010. Image courtesy of Francis Kéré

Rooted in African cultures and traditions, with a new African contemporary architecture, Kéré sees "himself as an agent of social transformation on his continent" and devices architecture to serve communities. 

Francis Kéré designed the 2017 Serpentine Pavilion in London. His firm recently completed the Burkina Institute of Technology in Burkina Faso and construction work is underwell on the new Goethe Institute in Dakar, Senegal. 

French-Togolese architect Jeanne Autran-Edorh, a lead architect at Kéré Architecture, spoke to WAC as part of WAC Live Interview Series. Watch the talk with Jeanne Autran-Edorh on WAC's Instagram. 

Top image: Diébédo Francis Kéré, the 2022 Laureate for the Pritzker Architecture Prize. Image via screenshot from Pritzker Architecture Prize ceremony video.

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