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Herzog & de Meuron

1978 by Jacques Herzog (born 19 April 1950 in Basel) and Pierre de Meuron (born 8 May 1950 in Basel), its two main partners. HdeM's early works were reductivist pieces of modernity that registered on the same level as the minimalist art of Donald Judd. However, their recent work at Prada Tokyo, the Barcelona forum and the Beijing Olympics stadium suggest a changing attitude. Though their commitment to the primacy of materiality shows through all their projects, the manipulation of form has gone from boxy modernism to volumetric prisms of equal if not greater presence. The architects often cite Joseph Beuys as an enduring artistic inspiration and collaborate with different artists on each architectural project. Their success can be attributed to their skills in revealing unfamiliar or unknown relationships through familiar materials.

Notable building projects

• Forum Building, Barcelona, 2004
• Laban dance centre, Deptford Creek; London, 2003
• St. Jakob Park (football stadium); Basel, 2001
• Tate Modern, Bankside, London; 1995 - 2000
• Main railway switchtower, Basel; 1994-1997

Projects currently under construction

• Allianz Arena (football stadium), Munich
• Olympic Stadium, Beijing

Prizes

• Schock Prize, 1999
• Pritzker Prize, 2001
• Stirling Prize, 2003, for the Laban dance centre