Citation

In accordance with Article 2 of the statutes of the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation concerning the annual award of one or more prizes to honour individuals or organizations whose contributions in the cultural, social or social science fields have been of outstanding importance to Europe, His Royal Highness Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands confirmed the decision of the Board of the Foundation to award the Praemium Erasmianum for the year nineteen ninety-five to Renzo Piano.

The prize is awarded to Renzo Piano

– because in his architecture he continues to view technique as a means and never as an end;

– because he understands how to integrate elements from the local tradition and the natural and social context with technique. His architecture expresses this integration through subtle, humane and sensitive atmospheres together with the poetic use of immaterial elements such as light, colour, sound and space;

– because he combines his virtuosity and inventive use of the most advanced technical resources and materials with craftsmanship and love of detail;

– because his architecture expresses tremendous flexibility and diversity owing to his  exceptional gift of being able to listen and communicate without preconceived ideas.