Jean Nouvel
Design for NOT A HOTEL
NOT A HOTELYAKUSHIMA
The most sophisticated things belong to nature—its landscapes, its paths, its reliefs, the views that will be revealed. Everything else is absence. This project is not about creating for those who wish to live here, but about falling in love—with a tree, a blade of grass, or a stone.
Like a collector of modern art, one finds in stones, gardens, or bare ground the ideal way to experience the island. It’s nature, it’s a place, it’s a work of art, it’s rain, it’s the sound of water. At its base lies the stone—a permanent presence, shaped by time, rain, and wind, carrying the patina of years. Around it, rocks and blocks of stone are arranged with the ambition of creating something that feels as if it has always been here. The island is like a treasure, a place where everything can change—something can be added or removed— yet always offering the calm pleasure of contemplation. Here, time is constant, and calmness must be absolute, meditative. The simplest materials, like glass, are chosen to heighten the awareness of rain, to reveal the transparency of water, the sky behind it, and the elementary, natural emotions that arise.
Designed by
Assistant to the architect Claude Parent and inspired by urban planner and essayist Paul Virilio, he started his first architecture practice in 1970. Soon afterwards, he became a founding member of the French Architecture Union and co-created the “Mars 1976” Movement whose purpose was to oppose the architects’corporatism. The constant originality of his projects worldwide has helped build his international reputation. With a contextual approach, he designs buildings that leave a lasting mark on the cities where they are created. These include the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain (Paris), the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the 53W53 tower (New York), the Museum of art Pudong (Shanghai) and the Duo towers (Paris). His works have gained world-wide recognition through numerous reward, including the Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale (2000), the Royal Gold Medal of the Royal Institute of British Architects (2001), the Praemium Imperial of Japan’s Fine Arts Association (2001), the Borromini Prize for the Culture and Conference Center in Lucerne (2001), and the prestigious Pritzker Prize (2008).
Selected works
LOUVRE ABU DHABI
DUO TOWERS
LUCERNE KKL
FONDATION CARTIER – PALAIS ROYAL
LOUVRE ABU DHABI
DUO TOWERS
LUCERNE KKL
FONDATION CARTIER – PALAIS ROYAL