Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem, and Ramon Vilalta have been announced as the recipients of the 2017 Pritzker Architecture Prize – the first time that three individuals have been jointly awarded the prize. Mr. Aranda, Ms. Pigem, and Mr. Vilalta are the co-founders of Catalan studio RCR Arquitectes, which they established in 1988 in their hometown of Olot where they remain based. The decision to bestow the award on a little-known studio is a major departure for the prize, which has historically been awarded to a big name “starchitect” such as Zaha hadid or Frank Gehry.According to the Pritzker Prize, RCR Arquitectes unite landscape and architecture to create buildings described as “intimately connected to place and time.” Seeking connections between the interior and exterior, the studio evokes universal identity through its extensive and creative use of modern materials such as recycled plastic and steel. “The collaboration of these three architects produces uncompromising architecture of a poetic level, representing timeless work that reflects great respect for the past, while projecting clarity that is of the present and the future,” said Glenn Murcutt, Jury Chair.The work of RCR Arquitectes can be found throughout Catalonia, Spain, and greater Europe. Notable projects by the studio include: La Cuisine Art Center (2014), Soulages Museum in collaboration with G. Trégouët (2014), La Lira Theater Public Open Space in collaboration with J. Puigcorbé (2011), Les Cols restaurant marquee (2011), El Petit Comte Kindergarten in collaboration with J. Puigcorbé (2010), Bell-Lloc Winery (2007), Sant Antoni - Joan Oliver Library, Senior Citizen’s Center and Cándida Pérez Gardens (2007), and Tossol-Basil Athletics Track (2000). Read more