Thom Mayne

Morphosis, the name of Thom Mayne's company, means "to be in training", and is a particularly apt description of this architect's career and struggle. Until the mid-1980s, he was a revolutionary young architect from the West Coast, largely unknown, with a degree in architecture from the University of Southern California, a master's degree from Harvard and great promise. The firm was mainly known to architecture enthusiasts and students for some exceptional small projects: two innovative restaurants, a residence and a medical clinic. But that was bound to change. After surviving a dearth of projects in the early 1990s, Mayne burst into the new century with a vengeance and began to win competitions and commissions for increasingly important projects, all of which were notable for their bold character, daring designs and originality in both form and use of materials. Mayne's distinguished awards include the Rome Prize Fellowship of the American Academy of Design in Rome (1987), Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1992), the Gold Medal for Architecture from the American Institute of Architects in Los Angeles (2000) and the Chrysler Award for Design Excellence (2001).

Thom Mayne is a product of the turbulent 1960s who has carried that rebellious attitude and fervent desire for change into his practice, the fruits of which are now becoming visible in a group of large-scale projects including the University of Cincinnati Student Recreation Center, a federal courthouse in Eugene, Oregon, a new art and engineering building for the venerable Cooper Union in Manhattan, and the giant California Department of Transportation (District 7) headquarters building in Los Angeles.

Mayne's approach to architecture and his philosophy do not derive from European modernism, Asian influences or even the American precedents of the last century. Throughout his career, he has sought to create original architecture that is truly representative of the unique, somewhat uprooted culture of Southern California, especially the architecturally rich city of Los Angeles. Like the Eames, Neutra, Schindler and Gehry before him, Thom Mayne is a true addition to the tradition of innovative and exciting architectural talent flourishing on the West Coast. After the firm's early projects and his role in founding an unorthodox architectural school, "SCI-ARC", he and his partner at Morphosis, Michael Rotondi, parted ways and Mayne entered a period of few built projects, which tested his mettle, determination and passion for his chosen profession. Gradually, however, customers, both public and private, began to recognise and be attracted by his bold forms, his original palette of materials and the authenticity of his design.

Mayne has a prominent place in the profession. He actively participated in numerous design competitions all over the world, and won many of them. In addition, through lectures, writings and his professorship at UCLA, he has become a spokesman for architecture, a mentor and an example for the younger generation of architects.

The jury is pleased to award the 2005 Pritzker Architecture Prize to Thom Mayne for his qualities, which fit perfectly with the credo of the prize, "talent, vision and commitment to the development of the art of architecture", as well as for his outstanding work and promising future.