French Contemporary Architecture Through Jean Nouvel’s Eyes And Works

Jean Nouvel, Pritzker Prize2008, is a French architect who struggled to receiverecognition from his country at the beginning of his career. But with time, his career evolved allalong with his stature; he received awards, one after others, he became internationally renownedand like most of nowadays famous architects, he is known as a starchitect (a star combined withan architect) making as well talk about himself as about his works.This thesis aims to study Jean Nouvel‘s works and concept in order to understand, tothink and to make a statement about the contemporary architecture. Therefore, this work isarticulated around four interrelated and evolutionary parts.The introduction part stated Jean Nouvel‘s background by first placing him with hiscontemporary fellow French architects, then presenting his career, his partnerships, his fights, hiscommitments, his passion for the world of art, his recognition and finally by describing hisrelationship with his peers.The second part introduced Jean Nouvel‘s concept and defined the guiding principles thatdirect his works and thoughts. By stating his influences; Claude Parent and Paul Virilio, César,Jacques Le Marquet and the60s Beaux Arts generation‘s philosophical trend.The third part explained how Jean Nouvel passes from the concept to the building. Firstwith the dematerialization that makes the relationship between the material and the building lesstangible. Or with transparency and reflection, which are the results of the relationship betweenthe light and the glass.The fourth part was about some built and under construction representative works of JeanNouvel. About the dematerialization there are; the Cultural and Congress Center in Lucerne, theAgbar Tower in Barcelona and the Danish Concert House in Copenhagen. Then, about therelationship between the light and the glass are presented; the Gasometer A in Vienna, the FerrariNew Assembly Lines in Modena and the40Mercer in New York. The under constructionprojects are; the National Museum of Qatar, the Louvre Museum of Abu Dhabi and the FrasersBroadway One Central Park in Sydney. This thesis difference‘s lies in the fact that it is not essentially based on the analysis of thearchitect‘s work. In fact, the answers to the problems posed are obtained from the study of thefollowing elements and the links between them. Namely; Jean Nouvel‘s built or not yet builtworks, publications concerning the starchitect (articles, books) and his opinion and point of view(interviews, books).