Sheikh Zayed Book Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 2 (2008) Winner
Rifat Chadirji
リファート・ジャダルジ
Rifat Chadirji
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1926-12-06 （Baghdad, Mandatory Iraq）
- Died
- 2020-04-10 （London, England） age 93
- Nationality
- Iraq
- Languages
- Arabic, Turkish, English
- Religion
- Atheism
- Residence History
- Baghdad, Iraq → Harvard, United States - academic appointment → London, United Kingdom
Career
- Occupations
- Architect, Photographer, Author
- Active Years
- 1952-2020
- Affiliations
- Baghdad Modern Art Group (associated)
- Influenced By
- Jawad Saleem, Mohammed Ghani Hikmat, Shakir Hassan Al Said
- Influenced
- Contemporary Iraqi architects
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Bronze Medal, Barcelona Furniture Design | — | — | Barcelona Furniture Design | 受賞 |
| 1986 | Chairman's Award of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture | — | — | Aga Khan Award for Architecture | 受賞 |
| 2008 | Sheikh Zayed Book Award | — | — | Sheikh Zayed Book Award | 受賞 |
| 2015 | Honorary PhD from Coventry University | — | — | Coventry University | 授与 |
| 2015 | Tamayouz Lifetime Achievement Award | — | Lifetime Achievement | Tamayouz Excellence Award | 受賞 |
Bronze Medal, Barcelona Furniture Design
1964
Organization:
Barcelona Furniture Design
Result:
受賞
Chairman's Award of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture
1986
Organization:
Aga Khan Award for Architecture
Result:
受賞
Sheikh Zayed Book Award
2008
Organization:
Sheikh Zayed Book Award
Result:
受賞
Honorary PhD from Coventry University
2015
Organization:
Coventry University
Result:
授与
Tamayouz Lifetime Achievement Award
2015
Category:
Lifetime Achievement
Organization:
Tamayouz Excellence Award
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Central Post Office
1975 ArchitectureA public post office building in Baghdad incorporating courtyards, natural ventilation and light-reflecting features for climatic control.
International regionalismReinterpretation of regional traditionsClimatic-responsive design
Hamood Villa
1972 Residential architectureA private villa design where traditional elements are abstracted and integrated into a modern residence.
Fusion of tradition and modernityReinterpretation of private space
National Insurance Company (Mosul)
Commercial / Public architectureA commercial/public building in Mosul. Detailed documentation is limited.
Respect for regional characterExpression of publicness
Offices and Tobacco Warehouses
1965 Industrial / Commercial architectureMedium-scale facilities incorporating traditional climatic strategies such as ventilation and screen walls in a contemporary idiom.
Integration of function and traditionClimate responsiveness
The Monument to the Unknown Soldier
1959 MonumentA modernist monument in al-Fardous Square, Baghdad, referencing the Sassanid parabolic arch and symbolically evoking a mother bending to pick up her martyred child. Later removed.
Historical referenceSymbolic expressionPublic space
Rafiq Residence
1965 Residential architectureA middle-class residence employing traditional climatic solutions such as courtyards and natural ventilation.
Regional climatic adaptationModernization of housing
Bibliography
- al-Ukhaidir and the Crystal Palace (1991)
- A Dialogue on the Structure of Art and Architecture (1995)
- Concepts & Influences: Towards a Regionalized International Architecture (1987)
- Internationalised Tradition in Architecture (1988)
- The Photographs of Kamil Chadirji (1995)
- Introduction to Urban Design and Architecture in Lebanon (2004)
- Medina Interviews Architect (1999)
- Concepts and Influences: Towards a Regional International Architecture, 1952–1978 (1986)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- International regionalism (integration of internationalism and regional traditions)Modernist abstractionReinterpretation of historical motifs
- Recurring Motifs
- ArchesCourtyards (patios)Screen wallsMonolithic piers
Health
-
COVID-192020年Died in London in 2020 from COVID-19.
Legacy
Often referred to as the father of modern Iraqi architecture, he is celebrated for reinterpreting ancient Iraqi architectural elements in modern designs. In 2017 the Rifat Chadirji Prize was established to recognize local architects involved in rebuilding Iraq.
Archives
- Kamil and Rifat Chadirji Photographic Archive (Aga Khan Documentation Center, MIT Library)
In Popular Culture
- Chadirji's Monument to the Unknown Soldier was removed and replaced by a statue of Saddam Hussein, whose toppling in 2003 was widely publicized.
Quotes
-
“From the very outset of my practice, I thought it imperative that, sooner or later, Iraq create for itself an architecture regional in character yet simultaneously modern, part of the current international avant-garde style.”
Source: Interview (quoted) (2009)
Trivia
- In 1978 he was sentenced to life imprisonment on unfounded charges and served about 20 months in Abu Ghraib before being released.
- While imprisoned he wrote 'Al Ukhaidir and the Crystal Palace' using materials smuggled in by his wife.
- His father Kamil Chadirji was a politician and photographer; together they documented much of Baghdad and the region.
- He stated his atheism publicly and asked that prayers not be offered for him and that his body be cremated.
- The Rifat Chadirji Prize was established in 2017 to honor local architects involved in rebuilding liberated areas of Iraq.