Frei Otto Awarded 2015 Pritzker Prize Posthumously After Death
Frei Otto, the famous German architect, was posthumously honored with the 2015 Pritzker Prize, as reported by The New York Times. Sadly, he passed away just days before the announcement. Otto gained fame in the 1950s for his groundbreaking tent designs, first displayed at the Federal Garden Show in Germany. He later collaborated with Günter Behnisch to create the iconic roof canopies for the 1972 Munich Olympics. In 2005, he received the Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects, followed by the Praemium Imperiale prize for architecture in 2006 from the Japan Art Association. Although Frank Gehry was set to present the award on May 15 in Miami, past winners will now celebrate Otto’s contributions at the ceremony.
Key facts
- Frei Otto is the posthumous recipient of the 2015 Pritzker Prize for architecture
- Otto died earlier in the week of the announcement
- He first became known in the 1950s for tent structures at events like the Federal Garden Show in Germany
- Otto designed the roof canopies for the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich in collaboration with Günter Behnisch
- In 2005, he received the Royal Gold Medal for architecture from the Royal Institute of British Architects
- In 2006, Otto was awarded the Praemium Imperiale prize for architecture by the Japan Art Association
- Architect Frank Gehry was scheduled to award the Pritzker Prize on 15 May at the New World Center in Miami
- Past Pritzker laureates will speak about Otto's life and work at the ceremony
Entities
Artists
- Frei Otto
- Günter Behnisch
- Frank Gehry
Institutions
- The New York Times
- Japan Art Association
- Royal Institute of British Architects
- New World Center
Locations
- Germany
- Munich
- Miami
- United States