Vo Trong Nghia, Vietnam’s resident starchitect, recently clinched the coveted 2016 Prince Claus Award, which rewards artists and organizations for their contribution to local culture and development.
According to Thanh Nien, the award ceremony will be held on December 15 at the Royal Palace Amsterdam, where Nghia and five other visionaries from all over the world will receive the prestigious prize from Prince Constantijin of the Netherlands.
The 40-year-old architect was bestowed the honor for his effort to introduce sustainable architecture to Vietnam’s cityscapes by integrating contemporary design with traditional craftsmanship and natural materials.
“With a focus on green spaces, his designs range from major urban structures to durable but inexpensive housing for remote communities. His approach to urban design is shaping the future of architecture and transforming Vietnam’s urban landscape,” the Prince Claus Fund wrote in a statement.
“However, at the core of his practice, he uses the physical environment to reconnect humans back to Mother Nature.”
As Thanh Nien reports, this year the Principal Prince Claus Award went to Thai filmmaker and artist Apichatpong Weerasethakul, while four other Prince Claus Awards belong to Lebanese chef and food activist Kamal Mouzawak; Pakistani interdisciplinary cultural center PeaceNiche; Egyptian/Lebanese graphic designer, artist, educator and historian Bahia Shehab; and Colombia’s digital portal La Silla Vacia.
The Prince Claus Awards are given out every year to individuals and organizations based in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean for “outstanding achievements in the field of culture and development and the positive effect of their work on their direct environment and the wider cultural or social field”.
[Photo via YouTube user Al Jazeera English]
