Bordeaux: Becoming Lacaton & Vassal: Bordeaux School

This visit highlights the work of architects Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal, winners of the 2021 Pritzker Prize, by exploring their projects, inspirations, and the influences that shaped them in their hometown. Their career began with the Latapie House, completed in 1993 in Floirac, a modest yet visionary project that immediately positioned them within a radical, economical architectural movement. Their global impact, however, can be traced back to a broader local lineage rooted in the teachings of Jacques Hondelatte in the 1980s, whose ideas emphasized the invention of new living environments that were more open, generous, and flexible. The visit offers direct access to some of Lacaton and Vassal’s most emblematic works, including the GHI housing blocks—an ambitious renovation of more than 500 occupied social housing units—and the management sciences university center, a building that synthesizes many of their spatial, constructive, and systemic principles. These two projects may even be accessible from the inside, providing a fuller understanding of their design philosophy.

Beyond their own achievements, the visit delves into the architectural heritage they emerged from, with a look at Jacques Hondelatte’s projects still visible in Bordeaux, whose radical ideas and frugal approach continue to resonate in the duo’s work. It also opens a window onto contemporary local production shaped by similar influences, including the Diversités housing project—an innovative development blurring the boundaries between private and social housing and designed by eight different architects. Further examples include participatory social housing initiatives by éo architecture, the Grand Parc Party Centre by Christophe Hutin, and Raphaëlle Hondelatte’s evolutionary nursery school. Together, these stops provide a broader picture of a vibrant architectural culture in Bordeaux, revealing the sources, echoes, and ongoing legacy of Lacaton and Vassal’s transformative approach.