Mentors and protégés in architecture

2012-2013

Rolex celebrates the opportunity to include architecture as its seventh discipline. This is a natural step for the Rolex Initiative since its rewarding association with architect Álvaro Siza, who was the inaugural visual arts mentor in the programme.
The first mentor in architecture is world-renowned Kazuyo Sejima, a partner in Japanese architecture practice SANAA. She will guide and counsel Yang Zhao a young architect from Dali, China, who will benefit from her wide professional experience and artistic direction over one year. 
A focus on the next generation of architects is inherent in Rolex’s support for young professionals and demonstrates the company’s long tradition of promoting individual excellence.

During the mentorship year, young Chinese architect Yang Zhao will collaborate on Home-for-All, a project created by his mentor Kazuyo Sejima and other leading Japanese architects in response to the housing crisis following the devastation caused by the 2011 tsunami in Japan. Home-for-All is providing communal gathering places at temporary housing sites for displaced people. Zhao will join the teams of architects, designers, students and tradesmen who incorporate the wishes of the community when constructing the temporary buildings. Of the mentorship, Zhao said: “My objectives are to experience a challenging and creative collaboration process with Sejima-san, to learn from the design culture in Japan, and to make my contribution to the whole reconstruction project,” he said. 

Consultado en: http://www.rolexmentorprotege.com/