Should an architect have a ‘signature’?

Yet another Pritzker Prize-winning architect, Jean Nouvel! A French architect who has completed several notable buildings, the most recent of them being 'Louvre Abu Dhabi', and 'La Marseillaise'.

But how is his work characterized? If you go through Nouvel's projects, you will quickly notice that it’s always changing. Unlike most other architects, he doesn't seem to have a signature style and that's exactly what became his trademark. Frank Gehry summarized this point by describing Nouvel's work this way:

"He tries things and not everything works. There’s a mixture of things that are extraordinary, things that are experiments, things that don’t come off aesthetically. But Jean is willing to jump in and take on things and try. That’s a great characteristic."

Obviously, there’s a lot to learn from Jean Nouvel. But the most important lesson of all is to try and experiment. Even if it means failing sometimes… What about you, what do you think? Should an architect have a "signature" in his work or, quite on the contrary, should he always experiment with total freedom depending on each particular context? Let us know in the comments below.

Besides, if you want to receive more short insights like this one, do not hesitate to subscribe to our newsletter! See you there!