Sir David Chipperfield has been awarded with the 2023 Pritzker Prize, the highest distinction in the architectural profession. Known for his well-crafted, precise, and sensible response to complex environments, the architect became initially recognized for the skillful restoration and renovation of existing buildings, often cultural institutions, before expanding the range of projects to include new structures. While his built body of works demonstrates many of the core principles of good architecture, the ongoing projects reveal an equally relevant narrative: that of his direction moving forward and the way in which his approach to these principles evolves.
Many of the ongoing projects continue Chipperfield’s interest in museological and cultural institutions, yet he continues to work across a wide array of building types. The latest major project announced tackles one of the most prominent institutions in Greece, the National Archeological Museum. This represents yet another opportunity for the architect to present museums as institutions that offer a transformation of the urban life of the cities where they are located, while also bringing forward the historical layers that define its architecture. Other projects, such as the Santa Giulia Arena in Milano or the Elbtower in Hamburg, expand the range of programs and typologies addressed by Chipperfield.
Read on to discover ten ongoing projects by David Chipperfield Architects, along with one unbuilt proposal.
In Progress
National Archeological Museum
Athens, Greece. 2022
Following an international competition, David Chipperfield’s design has been selected for the refurbishment and extension of the National Archeological Museum in Athens, Greece. The prominent institution houses some of the world’s most important collections of prehistoric and ancient art. The project includes the refurbishment of the original structure, designed by Ludwig Lange and Ernst Ziller in 1866-1874, and the addition of two new subterranean galleries that employ their green roofs to extend the lush park surrounding the museum.
Parliamentary Precinct Block 2
Ottawa, Canada. 2021
In collaboration with Toronto-based Zeidler Architecture, David Chipperfield Architects has won the international competition to transform the Block 2 parliamentary precinct in downtown Ottawa, Canada. The project, a 51,000 sqm redevelopment zone, aims to provide facilities for the democratic government while also representing the nation’s vision for its sustainable and inclusive future. The site encompasses eleven buildings of different scales and structural conditions, with several layers of heritage characteristics.
Arena in Santa Giulia
Milan, Italy. 2021
The 2026 Winter Olympic Games arena will be designed by the Berlin office of David Chipperfield Architects in collaboration with Arup. The structure is planned for the center of Milano Santa Giulia, a new urban district currently under redevelopment in the southeast of Milan. The new arena will house sports and cultural events with up to 16,000 visitors, while also featuring vast outdoor spaces to promote social gatherings and recreational activities.
Rolex Building
New York, United States. 2019
Rolex USA is set to update its New York headquarters. Chipperfield’s much-anticipated tower will replace the existing structure, home to the Rolex company since the ‘70s. The new proposal measures 25 stories in height and aims to become a symbol of the company’s commitment to quality, precision, and excellence. Located on the corner of 5th Avenue and 53rd Street, the headquarters will offer office spaces, along with amenities and a new Rolex store at the ground level.
The Grand Residential Building
Nieuwpoort, Belgium. 2019
The initiative to restore the Grand Hotel in Nieuwpoort, Belgium, started in 2019. The project aims to convert the structure into a residential building while also restoring its landmark status. By adapting and extending the historic building, the project also strives to underline a “sensitive understanding of heritage value and entails reinterpretation and invention as well as restoration.” The project is set for completion in 2024.
1014 Fifth Avenue
New York, United States. 2021
David Chipperfield Architects won the competition to redesign 1014 Fifth Avenue, a historic 1907 townhouse owned by the German government and used for cultural programming, into a space for meeting and dialogue. The project is developed in collaboration with New York-based practices KARO Architects and Patarus Group. It aims to reorganize the interior spaces to create the framework for cultural exchange while intervening in the historical structure in a respectful and sensitive way. Construction is set to begin in 2023, with the project's completion scheduled for late 2025.
IMPACT Center
Edinburgh, United Kingdom. 2020
Addressing the need for a purpose-built, medium-sized performance venue in Edinburgh, Scotland, Chipperfield has proposed a scheme that will serve as main venue of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Located in Edinburgh’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, the project will preplace an existing office building to create the first dedicated space for music and performing arts in the city in the last 100 years. The new IMPACT Center will form an urban composition with the Dundas House, a 1771 Grade-A listed civic building whose rear façade abuts the proposed scheme.
Elbtower
Hamburg, Germany. 2017
The German city of Hamburg is planned to have a 230-meter-tall addition to its skyline. Located on the eastern edge of the Hafencity, the sculptural building has a strong presence on the riverfront, forming a counterpoint to Herzog & de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie to the West. The building hosts office space in the tower, over a podium containing a bar, hotel, restaurant, retail and exhibition areas. The project is scheduled for completion in 2025.
Bötzow Brewery
Berlin, Germany. 2013
Berlin's former Bötzow Brewery is planned to be transformed into a new public destination. Located near the city's Alexanderplatz, the 24,000-square-meter industrial site was first home to the Bötzow Brewery in 1885, before being severely damaged during World War II. A masterplan by David Chipperfield Architects plans to restore the 19th century structures and to add three new buildings, all displayed around a central public plaza. Seven of the existing buildings have been adapted to new functions and completed in 2021. The remaining part of the project is expected to be completed by 2025.
Richard-Strauss-Straße Office Building
Munich, Germany. 2019
In Munich's Bogenhausen district, a new headquarters for the Bayerische Versorgungskammer (Bavarian Pensions Fund) is set to be built on a former production site. Designed in collaboration with landscape architects Atelier Loidl, the scheme features a sculptural ensemble formed of three large volumes. A tall tower along Richard-Strauss-Straße is complemented by a connecting building wing and a lower tower. The open ground floor plan creates a flowing connection to the adjacent park, thus forming a complimentary vertical and horizontal program.
Unbuilt Status
Nobel Center
Stockholm, Sweden. 2014
First revealed in October 2013, the project for a new Nobel Center in Stockholm is one of the more controversial projects by David Chipperfield Architects. The proposal featured a rectangular volume and a façade made of “bronze fins” employed in varying densities. Since its announcement, the project has faced harsh criticism, with protesters being particularly upset about the choice of location, as it would require the demolition of multiple historic structures. After four years of debates, court orders, royal concerns, and public controversy, the project has been scrapped, and the institution is planned to be relocated to a new site in Stockholm.
Check out more projects by David Chipperfield Architects published on ArchDaily.
