African architect Diébédo Francis Kéré, known worldwide for work guided by a social vision of architecture and design practice as a tool for inclusion and transformation, was this year's Pritzker Prize laureate. To discuss the award, the jury's selection, and its implications for architectural culture as a whole, Arquicast invited Caio Dias and Bruno Sarmento.
The history of the prize can be divided into distinct periods, marked by shifts—some more predictable than others—in the criteria applied by the jury. From its inaugural edition in 1979 until the mid-1990s, the Pritzker was characterized as an award dedicated to honoring architects whose body of work was recognized by mainstream global architectural criticism.
