French architect Jean Nouvel is among the most successful architects of the present day

Paris – Celebrated French architect Jean Nouvel, who will celebrate his eightieth birthday on August 12, has also made his mark in the domestic environment with his work. The winner of the prestigious Pritzker Prize in 2008 is, among other things, the author of the administrative complex Golden Angel in Prague's Smíchov. Nouvel's recent projects include the Philharmonie de Paris (2015), a branch of the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi (2017), and the National Museum of Qatar in Doha (2019).

The architect, known for his glass, luminous, and slightly futuristic works, finds inspiration in science fiction films by Ridley Scott. Among Nouvel's key works is the light-changing building of the Arab World Institute (1981 to 1987), located on the banks of the Seine in the center of Paris, and the optically dematerialized Cartier Foundation (1994) on Paris's Raspail Boulevard.

For his creative experimentation and for projects that communicate with their surroundings, Nouvel received the Pritzker Prize in 2008, the highest award in the field of architecture. The jury particularly appreciated his construction of the theater building Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, USA (2006). Nouvel also has to his credit projects such as the Paris Museum of Tribal Art on Quai Branly, the Opera in Lyon, the skyscraper 53West53 (also known as the MoMA Expansion Tower) in New York, the high-rise building Torre Glories (formerly Torre Agbar) in Barcelona, and the Hotel Puerta América in Madrid.

Nouvel's commercial and administrative center Golden Angel in Prague's Smíchov opened in November 2000. The multipurpose building was declared the Czech Building of the Year in September 2001. Like most modern buildings in the Czech Republic, this house with excerpts from the works of Kafka, Rilke, or Orten on its glass facade is not received unambiguously. "It's a decent building, but it was underfunded, and you can tell. Nouvel has better things," said architectural historian Zdeněk Lukeš.