Born in Casablanca in 1944, Christian de Portzamparc is an architect and urban planner.
He graduated from the Paris School of Fine Arts in 1969 and set up his agency, the Atelier Christian de Portzamparc, in 1980.
The Atelier is also an “urban laboratory” that performs in-depth urban and structural analyses, a technique developed by Christian de Portzamparc since the 70’s based on projects “manifestoes”, competitions and studies. This has allowed him to develop his methods and apply theoretical research and analysis principles to a multitude of practical situations.
In 1994, Christian de Portzamparc became the first French architect to gain the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize at the age of 50.
The most prestigious city planning prize in France, Grand Prix de l’Urbanisme, was awarded to him in 2004.