The British-American architect and historian Kenneth Frampton is honored for his fundamental studies on tectonics and the architectonic large-scale form as predominant elements of urban landscapes. His theoretical range encompasses a vastness that no other prominent thinker in architecture has yet achieved. In addition, he will be honored for his accurate studies in which he has been analyzing current construction processes as well as the history of modern architecture since the early 19th century.
The work of the French architect, researcher, scientist and curator Jean Louis Cohen includes publications and exhibitions, which have made essential contributions to the understanding of international connections between prominent modern age architects and their impact. Cohen discusses building culture as a means of self-understanding beyond national traditions.
Involved in numerous research projects since 1973, Cohen precisely investigates the political, social and cultural conditions of the work of architects and city planners in various epochs. His research on architecture and city planning in revolutionary Russia is integrated in the discourse about the ambivalence of the modern age. His studies of Le Corbusier’s work in the Soviet Union have pervaded questions about the relationship between power and morality. Cohen also focuses on the eventful relationship between France and Germany.
The projects of German architects for cities and regions in France occupied during World War II, are also part of his studies along with the work of French architects in Germany after the war. Between meticulous research and a vivid display of the results at exhibitions and in extensive publications, Jean-Louis Cohen has succeeded like no other scientist in the history of architecture and planning to address a wide audience. At the same time he raises his voice in support of the quality of the environment created by human beings and against its endangerment due to the change in generations and epochs. (W. Durth)
As a literary figure of many interests, Friedrich Achleitner belonged to the Vienna Group, wrote contributions increasingly concerned with architectural criticism and ultimately led to a systematic investigation of Austria’s building culture.
Achleitner has developed a special quality of precise analysis of buildings and over-arching development in architectural and urban history on the basis of a productive combination of literature and architectural criticism, which until now has shaped his rich oeuvre. Special mention should be made of the documentation on “Austrian Architecture of the 20th Century”, which is collected in three volumes and which has set the highest standards for historiography as well as for other fields. This comprehensive work is the result of many year’s research on the basis of careful evaluation of all accessible archival resources, personal visits of all buildings on site and their linguistically brilliant evaluation.
With typological studies of regionalism in architecture Achleitner gave an impetus to theoretical reflection on design practice which also had an international impact. Referred to as the “conscience of architecture”, he participates in current debates and is expanding his life’s work in further studies. (D. Steiner)
Through his clear designation of architectural and urban developments, the architectural sociologist from Berlin, Werner Sewing, has been providing intrepid as well as analytically rich critique for nearly a decade. The broad geographical extent and the depth of expertise with which Sewing has systematically advanced and penetrated into the heart of the issues at hand is particularly remarkable. He has authored texts about urban phenomena in the United States as well as about the second “Stone Berlin” and the involuntary transformation in the self-conception of the professional trade (included as a summary in Sewing’s book: Bildregie: Architektur zwischen Retrodesign und Eventkultur, Basel 2003).
Sewing’s essays and lectures are characterised by clear statements that are accessible to lay audiences as well. The Erich Schelling Architecture Theory Award, with an endowment of 10,000 euro, particularly recognises Sewing’s independent and exemplary efforts to ensuring that the complex transformations unfolding in architecture and urban planning are accessible to the general public from a socio-critical perspective.
For over three decades Manuel Castells has devoted himself to the problems in architecture and urban development. His first book “La question urbane” of 1972 became a classic textbook in the field of urban sociology worldwide.
In his book “The City and the Grassroots” of 1983 Castells analyzed the role of social movements in European, North and South American urban developments. Already in 1989 he had conducted research on the influence of new information technology on economic and urban development processes.
With his three volume publication on “The Information Age: Economy, Society, and Culture: The rise of the Network Society (vol. 1), The Power of Identity (vol. 2), End of Millenium (vol. 3)”, Castells also had an impact on the discussion on de- and reurbanization processes.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
Technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that have not been requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
Technical storage or access solely for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
