At 80, architect and academic Jorge Hampton dies

Argentine architect, professor, and academic Jorge Hampton died unexpectedly on Wednesday at the age of 80. Born in Buenos Aires on July 15, 1945, Hampton was a father of three and a respected member of the National Academy of Fine Arts (ANBA) and the Academy of Architecture and Urbanism.

His colleague, architect Mariano Clusellas, described Hampton as a "complete and contemporary architect like few others, with a life truly lived." Hampton earned his architecture degree from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) in 1974 and later received a diploma from University College London's Development Planning Unit in 1978. His early career included work on coal mine projects in Wales and hospitals in Lagos, Nigeria, as well as consulting for the Organization of American States on urban planning in Ecuador.

From 1983 to 1992, Hampton taught Architectural Design at UBA. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Central Society of Architects from 1995 to 2004 and was part of the Advisory Council for the School of Architecture and Urban Studies at Torcuato Di Tella University. His firm, Hampton-Rivoira, Arquitectos (H+R+A), established in 1982 with Emilio Rivoira, represented Argentina at the Venice and São Paulo Biennales and garnered prestigious awards, including the Vitruvio Prize in 1997 and the Decade Prize in 2005.

Hampton-Rivoira's notable projects include a pedestrian walkway in Puerto Madero, the redesign of Plazoleta Julio Cortázar, and interior design for the Telecom Tower and Banco de Boston Tower. They also undertook work for major clients such as Microsoft, YPF, and Fundación Temaikèn, receiving the International Critics of Architecture Award in 2009 for their work on "El lugar de las aves" at the Temaikèn Biopark. Hampton's academic contributions were recognized by the National Academy of Fine Arts upon his incorporation in 2018.