Enrique Norten is the founder and director of TEN Arquitectos (Taller de Enrique Norten Arquitectos) in Mexico City, New York and Miami. Born in Mexico City, he received a Bachelor of Architecture degree at the Universidad Iberoamericana in 1978, and in 1980 he obtained a Master’s Degree in Architecture from Cornell University. In 1986 he founded TEN Arquitectos, beginning a commitment to the creation and research of architecture, urbanism and design. He has been internationally recognized during his extensive career; in 2018 he received the Fine Arts Medal from the Ministry of Culture, as well as the Distinguished Mexican” recognition by the Mexican Government´s Institute for Mexicans Abroad.
Throught his career he has also received, among others, the “Richard J. Neutra Award for Professional Excellence” by the California State Polytechnic University, the “Trayectorias” Award by the College of Architects of Mexico City, the “Legacy Award” in Design by the Smithsonian Latino Center and the World Cultural Council has awarded him the “Leonardo da Vinci” award World Award. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Holcim Foundation for construction and the council of the Americas Society / Council of the Americas, among others. He was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania with the Miller Chair since 1998 and a professor at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico, as well as being a visiting professor at the Yale School of Architecture, the Harvard Design School, the universities of Michigan, UCLA, Cornell, SciArch, Rice, Columbia, Pratt, and Parsons.
“Luxury is such a subjective subject. Everything fits into it, from beluga caviar, to the please of not having to do a thing or, in some cases, having clean water 24 hours a day.” However, visually, luxury is understood as something that represents design and refinement at its peak. This trophy seeks to express a sense of proud opulence in its intimate combination of metals. The sobriety of silver combined with flashes of gold, projected at the slightest movement. «I am very proud to have been invited for the second time, to design such a prestigious award that celebrates a career in the service of what is well done, excellence and unusual qualities that represent luxury for me.»
If the first time I designed this tribute was at the hands of Mexican silversmiths, this time I gave free rein to the imagination from the magnificent workshops of St James in Brazil, under the watchful eye of the team of artisans and goldsmiths who worked to give life to some restless lines that I drew on paper. The sculpture reflects an intimate relationship with a certain lavishness, an essence of luxury. Their touching, unified, parallel lines in direction coincide with a phrase coined by Leonardo da Vinci: «Simplicity is the utmost sophistication». This trophy celebrates luxury as a lifestyle, as a tradition with vision or a unique and unrepeatable experience.”
Founded in São Paulo in 1976, St. James was born with the mission of bringing beauty, luxury and innovation into the homes of our customers. Breaking the Brazilian aesthetic standards of that time, St. James was a pioneer in the manufacturing of pieces with modern styles and clean lines. In less than 2 years, we were already selling our products overseas, to customers in the US, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. Ever present in our DNA, the combination between craftsmanship, quality and design helped St. James become a reference in luxury products for the home.
We favor the talent and mastery of the people behind each product, through the balance between material, design and the technique of the craftsmen who work the metal. Our main vehicle, silver, has great symbolic power. It’s a material with a life cycle longer than most and that bridges the past – tradition, history – and the future, for its durability and the timeless design of the products. In the times we live in, most products are meant to be disposable. Our product, well contrary to that, gives those who use it, the right to believe it will last forever.