The Pritzker Prize was awarded to Diébédo Francis Kéré

Founder of Kéré Architecture, Architect, Educator, and Social Activist

Diébédo Francis Kéré won the 2022 Pritzker Architecture Prize. This award is considered the highest international honor in architecture.

“I hope to change the paradigm, to challenge people to dream and take risks. You cannot waste materials just because you are rich. You don’t have to avoid creating quality just because you are poor. Everyone deserves quality, luxury, and comfort. We are connected; concerns about climate, democracy, and scarcity affect us all.”

Diébédo Francis Kéré

Born in Burkina Faso and living in Berlin, Francis Kéré gained worldwide attention again by winning the 2022 Pritzker Architecture Prize. He works to empower communities through architecture. With his belief in social justice and unity, he cleverly uses local materials to combat the climate crisis. He undertakes new projects in countries facing difficult conditions where architecture or infrastructure is underdeveloped. By building contemporary educational institutions, healthcare facilities, housing, and public spaces in resource-limited regions, he gives architecture a meaning far beyond buildings for people. In countries facing scarcity, he leads sustainable architecture for community development.

The jury of the 2022 Pritzker Architecture Prize stated: “Kéré understands very well that architecture is about goals, not objects; about processes, not products. All of Francis Kéré’s work shows us the power of materiality rooted in place. The buildings he constructs for and with communities belong directly to those communities through their construction, materials, programs, and unique character,” highlighting the strength of Kéré’s vision once again.