Steven Holl named 2016 Daylight Award Architecture laureate

Steven Holl joins a prestigious roster of architects who have won the 2016 Daylight Award in Architecture. The architecture award recognizes practitioners who have distinguished themselves in creating buildings or urban landscapes that illustrate unique use of daylight — and its benefits to the quality of life. Previous recipients include Jørn Utzon, Henning Larsen, Richard Perez, Peter Zumthor, Lacaton & Vassal and SANAA, among others.

In support of research on daylight, this year's Research Award will go to Marilyne Andersen, a professor of Sustainable Construction Technologies and the Dean of the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. Andersen won for her outstanding contributions to international daylight research and its impact on the well-being and experience of building users.

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The jury cited Holl for consistently “creating experiential and emotive architecture with a strong focus on the human experience” through light. In expressing gratitude over winning the 2016 award, Steven Holl commented: “Space is oblivion without light. A building speaks through the silence of perception orchestrated by light. Luminosity is as integral to its spatial experience as porosity is integral to urban experience.”

“The importance of daylight in both research and architecture matters greatly because the impact of daylight is rising. Not only indoors but also as cities are becoming more dense, more vibrant and more populated,” stated Hubert Klumpner, Jury Chairman and Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at ETH Zürich. “Given the importance of daylight, it is crucial that the fields of research and architecture exchange knowledge and work together. The fields must combine theory and practice in order to maximise the benefit of daylight for humans.”

Steven Holl and Marilyne Andersen will be presented with their awards during a ceremony in Copenhagen on November 2.