Buildings designed by David Chipperfield are often described as “understated.” The British architect has never felt the need to place his personal brand on the structures he creates, and it’s partly his restraint that has earned him this year’s Pritzker Prize, widely considered archtitecture’s top honor.

Chipperfield’s work includes the America’s Cup Building — a stack of offset white planes that rise along the harbor in Valencia, Spain like the sails of a ship — and the Des Moines Public Library, whose expansive windows are shaded with copper mesh to let in light while reducing glare.

Here & Now‘s Celeste Headlee speaks with Chipperfield about his work, the award and why these days he’s more interested in how cities develop than how to design individual buildings.

The Neues Museum. (Courtesy of SMB / Ute Zscharnt for David Chipperfield Architects)

The Neues Museum. (Courtesy of SMB / Ute Zscharnt for David Chipperfield Architects)

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.