Cast your vote for the 2015 World’s Worst Architect!
An esteemed panel of architectural experts analyzed the world’s worst architects, and have narrowed the field to 12 architects who perpetuate poor design.
While many architects continually produce work worthy of emulation, several “starchitects” have trivialized the profession by their recent architectural atrocities.
- The selection committee chose 12 of the “worst” architects, to be awarded the 2015 Prickster Prize, using the following guidelines:
- The architect must be currently living.
- The architect has several high-profile buildings that might be a backdrop for a car commercial (Thereby ruling out all the actually bad architects that provide a modest living re-using the same details for IHop Franchises without investing any resources into improving the built environment).
- The architect has a large portion of their projects that are environmentally irresponsible, economically unsustainable, degrading to the quality of life, or are aesthetically repugnant.
Round 1: Mies van der Rohe Region
- SOM (David Childs) (83%, 10 Votes)
- Jean Nouvel (17%, 2 Votes)
Total Voters: 12
Loading ...Round 1: Le Corbusier Region
- Robert A.M. Stern (75%, 9 Votes)
- Bjarke Ingels (25%, 3 Votes)
Total Voters: 12
Loading ...Round 1: Antoni Gaudí Region
- Zaha Hadid (62%, 8 Votes)
- Terry Farrell (38%, 5 Votes)
Total Voters: 13
Loading ...Round 1: Frank Lloyd Wright Region
- Richard Meier (55%, 6 Votes)
- David M. Schwarz (45%, 5 Votes)
Total Voters: 11
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*Check Back March 24 for Round 2 Voting*
2015 Prickster Prize Nominations
SANTIAGO
CALATRAVA
Committee Ranking:
1
Committee Comments:
Besides over-budget, and crumbling buildings; architecture is not a metaphor for eyeballs and birdwings.
FRANK
GEHRY
Committee Ranking:
1
Committee Comments:
His exterior forms do not create intriguing interior spaces. While his early work was transcendent, he now seems to produce redundant similar projects. See Architect Arithmetic.
MOSHE
SAFDIE
Committee Ranking:
1
Committee Comments:
Similar to Maya Lin, he has never transcended his initial seminal work. (Habitat ’67) And I’m fairly certain that was in 1867.
DANIEL
LIBESKIND
Committee Ranking:
1
Committee Comments:
Pointy Architecture is all fun and games, until someone loses an eye.
BJARKE
INGELS
Committee Ranking:
2
Committee Comments:
Architecture’s current “It Boy” produces cool neon colored graphics, yet every building still resembles either a hill, or a skate park.
ZAHA
HADID
Committee Ranking:
2
Committee Comments:
Curvy spaces are enjoyable. Unfortunately, architecture built in relation to human proportions is also enjoyable.
RICHARD
MEIER
Committee Ranking:
2
Committee Comments:
Richard Meier is the opposite of color blind. He only senses light which contains all the wavelengths of the visible spectrum. WHITE.
JEAN
NOUVEL
Committee Ranking:
2
Committee Comments:
Just because he looks like Dr. Evil from Austin Powers he shouldn’t automatically qualify for this list. But he did.
DAVID M.
SCHWARZ
Committee Ranking:
3
Committee Comments:
I just think it’s absurd the Driehaus Award (that honors the “contributions to traditional, classical architecture”) has prize money DOUBLE the prize money for the Pritzker. Therefore, the newest Driehaus Laureate makes this list.
ROBERT A.M.
STERN
Committee Ranking:
3
Committee Comments:
Ho Hummmm…. Just got bored trying to find anything interesting he’s ever done. I like people with two middle initials, but he is also a previous Driehaus Award winner.
TERRY
FARRELL
Committee Ranking:
3
Committee Comments:
I must admit that his architecture has steadily improved since his horrible M16 building. Unfortunately, his eyebrows have steadily worsened.
SOM –
(DAVID CHILDS)
Committee Ranking:
3
Committee Comments:
SOM hasn’t been influential since 1940. David Childs has emerged as the current face of SOM; just like the new One World Trade Center has emerged as the newest face of marginal skyscraper design.
2015 Prickster Prize Selection Committee
BRADY
ERNST
Profession:
Baby
Architect
Architectural Qualifications:
Although not a licensed architect, yet, he does write a blog with the word architect in the domain name.
CHEF
BRADY
Profession:
Amateur Sandwich
Artisan
Architectural Qualifications:
Owns a Michael Graves Designs apple slicer; even though it takes up a lot of space, it works “OK”.
PHOTOGRAPHER
BRADY
Profession:
Amateur Pet
Photographer
Architectural Qualifications:
Has an unphotogenic cat, thus sometimes takes pictures of buildings instead.
BAMBI
DANGER
Profession:
Intermittent
Napper
Architectural Qualifications:
None