Colectivo C733 Wins 2024 Booker Prize for Transforming 36 Communities Across Mexico
Colectivo C733, an architectural collective, has been awarded the 2024 Booker Prize for their outstanding achievement in realizing 36 community projects across Mexico within just 36 months. These projects, part of a nationwide initiative led by Mexico’s Secretariat of Agrarian, Land and Urban Development (SEDATU), have successfully revived a wide range of vulnerable urban and rural areas through a community-driven approach.
The C733 collective, formed in 2019, had the unique opportunity to respond to the challenge set forth by SEDATU. The team united 30 architects and a multidisciplinary group of consultants, quickly transforming what is typically a lengthy process into one completed within just a few months. Inspired by the principles of Uruguayan engineer Eladio Dieste, the work of Colectivo C733 is characterized by a modular, flexible, and cost-effective design strategy that allows for multiple iterations and adaptations to the specific context of each project.
“The jury commended Colectivo C733’s ‘dedication and commitment to the community’ and their ‘informed, operational, and rapid design’ that can serve as a model for future community-driven projects around the world.”
The 36 diverse interventions by the collective, ranging from sports facilities and community centers to markets and cultural buildings, have set a new precedent in the revitalization of urban and rural areas. Overcoming complex social, political, environmental, and financial challenges, Colectivo C733 has demonstrated how architects can effectively respond to the urgent needs of communities by utilizing approaches centered on collaboration and community interests.
The Booker Prize jury, chaired by Kjell Tore Dørum of Snøhetta, highly commended Colectivo C733’s “dedication and commitment to the community” and their “informed, operational, and rapid design” that can serve as a model for future community-driven projects around the world. The jury emphasized the collective’s ability to reimagine traditional approaches and practices, highlighting the importance of designing “with” communities, rather than simply “for” them.
The Obel Award, presented with the support of the Henrik Frode Obel Foundation, is an annual prize that addresses a unique challenge in the field of architecture and urban design. The theme for this year’s cycle, “Architecture with,” challenges traditional roles in architecture, encouraging the creation of more inclusive and adaptive environments.
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