Lacaton & Vassal

The Az W is pleased to present the first major show in a German-speaking country dedicated to the work of the French architects Anne Lacaton & Jean-Philippe Vassal.
Their architecture can be seen as providing an alternative to current architectural production: while many contemporary projects focus attention on the elaborated form as the development of a new architectural language, for them this issue is a subsidiary one from the outset:

‘Freeing oneself from the form – building from the inside outwards.’ (Lacaton & Vassal)

Despite, or as a result of, this stance Lacaton & Vassal have excited the attention of the media and specialists on an international level, working their way with their projects to the top league of impulse-giving architects on a global level.

Opening address
* Dietmar Steiner, Architekturzentrum Wien
* François Laquièze, Director of the French Cultural Institute, Vienna

On the exhibition:
* Sabine Breitwieser, Headmaster Generali Foundation, Vienna

Thursday, June 26, 2003, 07:00 P.M.
Lecture on the exhibition:
Anne Lacaton und Jean Philippe Vassal
(held in English)

An exhibition in cooperation with the arc en reve, Bordeaux and the deSingel Internationaal Kunstcentrum, Antwerpen.

With the kind support of the AFAA – Association Francaise d’Action Artistique, Ministère des Affaires Etrangères and the French Cultural Institute Vienna.

Sponsors:
Geschäftsgruppe Stadtentwicklung und Verkehr
Bundeskanzleramt Sektion Kunst
Wien Kultur
Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Kultur
UNIQA Versicherungen AG
Zumtobel Staff Österreich Vertriebs-GmbH

Lacaton & Vassal - Exhibition 01
© Pez Hejduk

Lacaton & Vassal - Exhibition 02
© Pez Hejduk

Lacaton & Vassal - Exhibition 03
© Pez Hejduk

Lacaton & Vassal - Exhibition 04
© Pez Hejduk

Lacaton & Vassal - Exhibition 05
© Pez Hejduk

Biographies

Anne Lacaton

born 1955 in Saint Pardoux la Rivière (Dordogne)
Studied architecture at the Ecole d’Architecture de Bordeaux (graduated in 1980)
Dess d’urbanisme from Bordeaux in 1984

Jean Philippe Vassal

born in 1954 in Casablanca/Morocco
Studied architecture at the Ecole d’Architecture de Bordeaux (graduated in 1980)
1980-1985 architect and town planner in West Africa
1992 to 1999 visiting professor at the École d’Architecture de Bordeaux

Prizes/Awards

Finalists in the Mies Van der Rohe Award 2003 – Barcelona (with their Palais de Tokyo project)
Nomination for the World Architecture Award 2001 (for the House in Coutras)
Grand Prix National d’Architecture Jeune Talent, Ministère de la Culture, 1999
Nomination for the Mies Van der Rohe Award 1997 – Barcelona (for the project University of Grenoble)
Nominations for the l’Equerre d’Argent du Moniteur: 1996 for the project University of Grenoble, 1999 for the house in Lège Cap Ferret, 2001 for the Palais de Tokyo, 2002 for the office building in Nantes
Prize-winners of the Albums de la Jeune Architecture 1991

Projects, competitions and built designs

2003
School of Architecture in Nantes, competition winner, under construction, scheduled completion 2006
University of Commercial Science, University Montesquieu, Bordeaux, competition winner, under construction, completion 2005
Housing development, Mulhouse, under construction, completion 2003
Vintner’s and wine store in Embres & Castelmaure, under construction, completion 2003

2002
University in Jussieu, Paris, extension, competition
School of Architecture, Paris Val de Seine, competition
‘Ceramic Network’, Limoges, material study of new uses for ceramics in the building industry. Monaco, urban planning study for the revitalisation of the district la Condamnie
Nice, feasibility study for the conversion of a warehouse into a culture centre.
Design of a house in Keremma

2001
office spaces in Nantes
Centre for contemporary art and cultural production in the Palais de Tokyo, Paris
Café/Restaurant Una in the Architekturzentrum Wien, Vienna, Austria
House in Morsiglia (Corsica), at the planning stage
School of Humanities, Université Pierre Mendès France, Grenoble, 2nd building phase, completed 2001. 1st building phase completed in 1995.
Alliance Française, New Delhi, competition.
Offices in Berlin for Mc Kinsey & Cie, competition

2000
House in Coutras completed
Housing development with 80 apartments in Hérouville Saint-Clair, competition
Design of the banks of the Seine in Nanterre, competition (in collaboration with the agency Péna, landscape architects)

1999
5-star hotel and casino, Lugano (Switzerland), competition
Congress centre in Bordeaux, competition
Housing development (43 apartments) incorporating commercial use, Grenoble, competition

1998
house at Cap Ferret (Gironde) completed
University Institute for Technology, Department of Journalism and Publicity in Bordeaux, competition
Carle Vernet School in Bordeaux, competition

1997
house in Dordogne, completed
UFR Economics & Commerce, Université Pierre Mendès France, Grenoble, conversion, completed
Lycée Français in Frankfurt (RFA), competition (in collaboration with architect Jacques Hondelatte)
French-Namibian Culture Centre, Windhoek, Namibia, competition

1996
youth hostel, Biarritz (Pyrenees), competition
Design of the square La place Léon Aucoc, Bordeaux
School of architecture in Compiègne, competition (in collaboration with architect Jacques Hondelatte)

1994 – 1995
Archaeological museum in Saintes (Charente-Maritime), exhibition hall, completed
Day-centre for young people, Bègles (Gironde) completed

1993
House Latapie, Floirac (Gironde) completed
School group André Meunier, Bordeaux, competition

1992
Prototype for economical housing, project

1991
Building for Cultural Exchange of the 7 partner ports, Osaka (Japan), competition (in collaboration with designer Duncan Lewis)
Central Library, Basse-Terre (Guadeloupe), competition.

1990
Japan-House, Paris 15. Arrondissement, competition (in collaboration with designer Duncan Lewis), recognition

1989
apartment in the Chartrons district of Bordeaux (in collaboration with Jacques Hondelatte)

1984
Straw hut, Niamey (Niger), construction
Urban planning and spatial concepts, Niamey (Niger) (1980 to 1985)

Exhibitions

* Art Front Gallery, Tokyo 2002, ‘New Trends of Architecture 2002’
8th Internationale Exhibition of Architecture – Biennale die Venezia 2002, ‘Contextes’, Exhibition French Pavillion
2001 Exhibition Alliance Francaise in Rotterdam
Orléans, ‘Archilab’, May – June 2001 and ‘habiter aujourd´hui’, April – May 1999, Catalogue
Guggenheim Museum Soho, New York, October 98 – January 99. ‘Premises : Invested Spaces in visual arts & architecture from France, 1958-98’. In Kooperation with ‘Musée National d’Art Monderne du Centre Pompidou’ in Paris, Catalogue
Galerie Taisei, Tokyo, Summer 1998, ‘Nouvelle Vague’, Exhibition of the Ifa Paris, within the context of the french yaer in Japan, Catalogue
Le Magasin, Centre National d’Art Contemporain de Grenoble, Oct.97 – May 98
Architekturzentrum Wien: ‘Standardhäuser’, 1997
arc en rêve centre d’architecture, Bordeaux, Oct. 97 – January 98. ‘336 modèles pour une maison’, Catalogue
Institut Français d’Architecture, Paris, March – June 1995, ‘Il fera beau demain’, Exhibition, Catalogue Institut Français d’Architecture, Paris, June 1991, ’40 architectes de moins de 40 ans ‘, Catalogue

Films

Les mots de l’architecte: ‘Lacaton & Vassal’, by Léornardo Di Costanzo, 2000
Les Films d’ici, VHS PAL 52 mn
Habitant, Film by Philippe Madec (Autor) und Michel Le Bayon (Producer) in Coproduction with the ‘Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication’ and ARTE (Maison Latapie à Floirac), 1996