Peter Zumthor Wins the Pritzker

Thermal Baths Vals, Peter Zumthor, 1996/photo: Helene Binet

Just a reminder that Michael Grunwald, Karen Tumulty and I will liveblogging tonight's final Presidential debate at the usual location, currently occupied by a threatening-looking countdown clock. Whenever I look at it, I have an urge to decide whether to cut the green wire or the yellow wire. Your predictions about the questions, strategies and Hail Mary passes are welcome. In particular, John McCain would seem to be in a bind, having all but promised yesterday to bring up William Ayers at the debate, only to wake up to the headline, Poll Says McCain Hurts His Bid by Using Attacks. Does he stage a surprise niceness attack? And what does Barack Obama do, besides kneel with the ball and wait for the clock to run out? (I know, a sports analogy! I watched a football game once!)

In most years the Pritzker Prize goes to one of the big international players in the world of architecture — Jean Nouvel, Renzo Piano, Norman Foster and so on. But some years it goes to a lesser known figure — Australia’s Glenn Murcutt or Paulo Mendes da Rocha of Brazil. This is one of those years. I always hesitate to use the term cult figure but it’s a word that gives you a sense of Zumthor’s position in the field.

Over the weekend I posted a story that explains a bit more about him. There’s also a slide show here.