frida escobedo wins the 2023 charlotte perriand award

frida escobedo to bring home 2023 charlotte perriand award

The Créateurs Design Association is set to award Mexican architect Frida Escobedo with the esteemed Le Prix Charlotte Perriand during the upcoming Créateurs Design Awards ceremony, scheduled in Paris on January 20th, 2024. Le Prix Charlotte Perriand, named after the trailblazing designer, is a testament to those who have pushed the boundaries of the design and architecture landscape, inspiring innovation and challenging conventional norms.

Prominently known for her 2018 Serpentine Pavilion design, Frida Escobedo’s architectural work has gained international acclaim for its daring concepts, visionary approach, and profound impact on the field. Escobedo’s portfolio showcases an exceptional ability to seamlessly blend form and function, creating spaces that not only captivate aesthetically but also enhance the human experience within them.’We are thrilled to bestow Le Prix Charlotte Perriand upon Frida Escobedo. Her work exemplifies the qualities that this award seeks to recognize—boldness, innovation, and a commitment to shaping the future of design,’ states Yuri Xavier, Co-founder of the Créateurs Design Association.

2018 Serpentine Pavilion in Hyde Park | image © designboom

honoring the architect’s profound impact on the field

With a commitment to sustainable design principles, architect Frida Escobedo has consistently demonstrated a deep concern for environmental consciousness and societal well-being. Her projects reflect a harmonious synergy between the built environment and nature, ushering in a new era of architecture. Her 2018 design for the Serpentine Pavilion at Hyde Park exemplifies that synergy, revealing an enclosed courtyard, a common feature of Mexican domestic architecture. Here, a constant and ever-changing interplay of light, coupled with water and geometry, takes form. A triangular pool is cast into the floor, reflecting the surrounding structure and the sky above. Similarly, the curved underside of the canopy is clad with mirrored panels, reflecting the lively meeting place below. These two elements emphasize the movement of light and shadow over the day.

The design ensures visitors will feel a unique experience on each visit. Furthermore, by observing the subtle interplays of the pavilion’s elements and its open environment, guests will be aware of time spent in play, improvisation, and contemplation. ‘The movement of the sun across the sky, reflected and refracted by the pool and mirrored ceiling, encourages an awareness of time spent in shared experience and in contemplation,’ said Escobedo. ‘We add the materials of light and shadow, and reflection, turning the building into a timepiece that charts the passage of the day.’

Some of Frida Escobedo’s most notable works also include a temporary pavilion within the grounds of the V&A museum, built for the 2015 edition of the London Design Festival; an interactive wood and metal stage designed for the 2013 edition of the Lisbon Triennial; the La Tallera cultural center in Morelos, Mexico; a more recent, immersive design for the Cartier Design: A Living Legacy exhibition at Museo Jumex; the Mar Tirreno residential complex that re-examines the vertical housing block in Mexico; and lastly, the Aesop Park Slope completed for the company’s third store in Brooklyn, New York — inspired by mid-19th century brownstone residences.

architect Frida Escobedo | image © Karla Lisker

Sharing her thoughts on the 2023 Charlotte Perriand award, Escobedo says: ‘In a field dominated by men, Charlotte Perriand created her own path: one that was fearlessly innovative yet deeply rooted in the belief that all beings have the right to beauty, comfort, and functionality. She shaped the world through her vast production of work while building a constellation of friends and colleagues, teaching us that collaboration is one of the most fundamental practices in the architectural discipline. Her multifaceted body of work defies a single classification, yet her experimentation seems to follow certain threads that anchor her curiosity to her surroundings (the places she lived in, the culture and history) and her personal history. To find myself acknowledged by this remarkable jury is an honor that resonates deeply within me.’

Submissions for the CDA Awards are now open. Creative professionals from around the world can submit their work in architecture, design, interior design, photography, digital art, journalism, and curation until November 25th, 2023. This is a unique opportunity for creative minds to showcase their talents and contribute to the global design discourse.