Cindy Peterson, co-founder and board president of the Center for Architecture Sarasota, attended the invitation-only Pritzker Prize ceremony in Miami Beach recently. She was joined by her husband, prominent Sarasota architect Guy Peterson, at a roundtable discussion with moderator and architectural critic Paul Goldberger. “What a privilege it is to have been invited to this elite event,” said Cindy Peterson.
The Pritzker is considered the profession’s highest honor, and is awarded each year to a living architect for significant achievement. This year’s winner is German architect Frei Otto, who died March 9 a few weeks after he was notified of the honor. Otto, who was 89, is best known for designing the roof of the 1972 Munich Olympic Stadium and other lightweight structures.
The Pritzker ceremony is held each year at a site of architectural significance; this was Miami's first selection as host city. The event was held at the New World Center, a concert hall and music education campus designed by Pritzker Prize laureate Frank Gehry.
Past laureates included Jean Nouvel, Richard Rogers, Zaha Hadid, Renzo Piano, Oscar Niemeyer, Richard Meier, I.M. Pei and Philip Johnson.
