Pritzker Prize awarded to Burkina Faso-German architect

The Pritzker Architecture Prize has been awarded to Diebedo Francis Kere, a Berlin-based architect, educator and social activist, for a craft that is 'sustainable to the earth and its inhabitants in lands of extreme scarcity,' especially in Africa and his native Burkina Faso, organizers said Tuesday.

“He is equally architect and servant, improving upon the lives and experiences of countless citizens in a region of the world that is at times forgotten,” said Tom Pritzker in announcing this year’s prize, seen as the highest honour in the field, to Kéré, a citizen of both Burkina Faso and Germany. Pritzker is chairman of the Hyatt Foundation, which sponsors the award.

In comments to The Associated Press, Kéré, 56, said he had always "wanted to create spaces that give people a sense of comfort and can inspire them.

“At a time when the pandemic has made our codependency very clear and we are also facing increasing conflicts around diminishing resources, it humbles me that my approach is spotlighted with such an honor,” he said. “It gives me great hope to firsthand experience that no matter how seemingly small and remote your start, you can go beyond what you ever thought possible.”

Most of Kéré’s built works are in Africa, in countries including Benin, Burkino Faso, Mali, Kenya, Mozambique, Togo and Sudan. He has also designed pavilions or installations in Denmark, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States, organizers said.