Léon Krier

Léon Krier ( born 1946 in Luxembourg ) is an architect, architectural theorist and urban planner from Luxembourg. He is one of the most important representatives of neorationalistischen and neoclassical architecture of the late 20th century, especially through his provocative theoretical contributions on the subject of urban design and urban planning. His brother Rob Krier is also an important architect of postmodernism.

Life and work

Léon Krier began at the University of Stuttgart has studied architecture and later worked with, among others, James Stirling ( 1968-70 ) and Josef Paul Kleihues ( 1973-74 ), he is self-employed since 1974. He works in publications with the historicist architect Demetri Porphyrios. Krier advocating a departure from the principles of modernist architecture and modernist urban planning. In the classical architectural tradition, as it has been formulated until about 1830, it looks timeless models for the actual construction. However, should the elements of the formerly continuous symmetrical and hierarchical architectural ensembles can be used individually and freely. In particular, Krier turns against the industrialized, capitalist certain building, in which he sees a reason for the increasing uglification the world. In contrast, he starts from a craft-oriented, artistic, architectural idea. Krier's architectural criticism is thus part of a comprehensive, conservative -orientated cultural criticism.

Krier produced many elaborate designs as the ideal large-scale urban planning projects. He turned to less and less planning methods of Neorationalismus, but developed in the direction of neo-classicism. As a theorist of urban Krier attacks the modernist dogma of the town divided into functional zones, as it had represented the CIAM. In particular, he objects to the city facilities U.S. stamping ( high-density business center with rampant Suburbs ) and calls for a motif, typologically and functionally mixed and moderately dense city. It is based on the European city of the 18th and 19th centuries. Utopian architecture is Krier's Atlantis project for Tenerife.

Works (architecture and urbanism )

• Poundbury, a model village in the southwestern English county of Dorset, which dates back to the initiative of Prince Charles and of the known European examples of the " New Urbanism " is. Here Krier is responsible for the master plan and design guidelines.
• House in Seaside (Florida), a small seaside town, considered one of the prime examples of the "New Urbanism".
• Bridge Pavilion in Pforzheim, together with his brother Rob Krier

Awards

• Berlin Architecture Award, 1977.
• Jefferson Memorial Gold Medal, 1985.
• Chicago American Institute of Architects Award, 1987.
• European Culture Award, 1995.
• Silver Medal of the Académie Française for his book Choice or Fate, 1997.
• Richard H. Driehaus Prize for Classical and Traditional Architecture, 2003.