12/8/1945, Fumel, France

The French architect and designer Jean Nouvel graduated in 1971 from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and in 1975 opened his own studio there. Active on various fronts, Nouvel founded in 1976 the group of French architects “Mars”, in 1979 the Syndicat de l'Architecture and the following year the Biennale d'Architecture in Paris. He is often labelled one of the main exponents of French high-tech architecture for his interest in the possibilities offered by applying the latest technology to construction. Nouvel also combines technology with a particular interest in the latest trends in ecological architecture.

The project which brought him international fame was the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris (1986) voted the “best French building of the year” in 1987 (the same award, the Equerre d'Argent, was given to him in 1993 at the Opera in Lyon). In 1991 Nouvel was nominated president of the Institut Français d'Architecure (IFA) and in 1993 became an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Over the course of his career, Jean Nouvel has received a number of international awards, including the “Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite” and the “Chevalier des Arts e Lettres” (1983) and the Grand Prix d’Architecture (1987).
Studio
AJN Architectures Jean Nouvel
10 cité d’Angoulême, 75011 Paris, France