Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement to Paulo Mendes da Rocha for the 15th Venice Architecture Biennale

It was attributed to Paulo Mendes da Rocha the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement of the 15th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale – REPORTING FROM THE FRONT .

The decision was taken by the Board of the Biennale chaired by Paolo Baratta, upon proposal of the curator of the 15th International Architecture Exhibition Alejandro Aravena.

The recognition of Paulo Mendes da Rocha will be delivered Saturday, May 28, 2016 at Ca ‘ Giustinian , the historical site of the Biennale of Venice, during the awards ceremony and inauguration of the Biennale, which opens to the public on the same day at 10 am.

Born in Brazil in 1928, Mendes da Rocha began his career in São Paulo in the 1950s as a member of the “Paulist brutalist” avant-garde. He received a degree in architecture in 1954, opened his office in 1955 and soon thereafter created an early masterpiece, the Athletic Club of São Paulo (1957).

Mendes da Rocha has maintained a private practice, taught at the University of São Paulo and acted as President of the Brazilian Institute for Architects. He has received many awards, including the Mies van der Rohe prize for Latin American Architecture (2000). The award paid tribute to the architect’s respectful renovation of the Pinacoteca do Estado, Sao Paulo’s oldest fine arts museum.