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The master of bamboo architecture awarded !
Simón Vélez, the Colombian architect who became internationally famous for his structures in bamboo, has been appointed to receive the 2009 Prince Claus Award next 16th December 2009. The € 100,000 award is scheduled at the Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ in Amsterdam.
The Foundation that honors Claus van Amsberg, Prince Consort of the Netherlands, has been established since 1997 to recognize the talents and works of artists, intellectuals and cultural organizations in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
It says in its website:
The relationship of Culture and Nature is a subject of powerful contemporary relevance and of special interest to the Prince Claus Fund. Through its 2009 Awards Programme, the Fund seeks to highlight and celebrate artists, cultural groups and organizations that demonstrate significant interactions between Culture and Nature, introduce new ideas and approaches to environmental issues, work with natural resources to stimulate sustainable forms of development, and reveal the impact of culture on the environment in innovative ways that help to build societies that nurture positive relations between Culture and Nature.
The Colombian architect Simón Vélez has been chosen to receive the honor for his works where he uses natural and ancestral materials to create contemporary innovations. In this sense, Vélez puts in practice sustainable designs in relation with the social development. Bamboo is a very ancient material used by natural cultures over the centuries in the Americas, especially tropical lands.
The Foundation says in its report over the Vélez´s creations:
Simón Vélez is an outstanding architect whose aesthetic and technical innovations have enhanced the construction potential of bamboo and challenged mainstream architectural trends.
The ceremony is traditionally assisted by the Royal Family of the Netherlands and Queen Beatrix will give the recognition to architect Simón Vélez.
For photo's of Simon's work, look here.
