Architecture's top prize awarded to two women

Dublin-based Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara were awarded the Pritzker prize on Tuesday -- the first time a female duo has scooped architecture's most prestigious award.

The pair gained international fame for their blocky, brutalist-inspired structures that include Paris's Institut Mines Telecom building.

Just three women have won Pritzkers before them and no Irish citizens have ever picked up the prize.

Architects since the 1970s, the duo have developed a unique style that is modern while emphasizing craft and working with site-specific aesthetics.

The jury cited Farrell and McNamara's "integrity" and "generosity towards their colleagues."
The judges also praised their "unceasing commitment to excellence in architecture, their responsible attitude toward the environment, their ability to be cosmopolitan while embracing the uniqueness of each place in which they work."