Richard Rogers Gets the Pritzker: The News Embargo Heard Round the World

How do you impose a news embargo until tomorrow on information that you have made available online to the entire world today?

I just found out from Richard Lacayo's blog, Looking Around, that Richard Rogers, co-designer with Renzo Piano of Paris' Pompidou Center and, more recently, architect of Terminal 4 in Barajas Airport, Madrid, has been named this year's winner of architecture's highest honor, the Pritzker Prize.

After getting the heads-up from my blogging colleague, I surfed over to the Pritzker Prize website, where I learned that he and I are uniquely disqualified from talking about any of the details provided about Rogers' prize, because we're members of the media: "All Materials are for publication/broadcast on or after Thursday, March 29, 2007."

So talk amongst yourselves: Navigate to the above-linked website, hit "Click To View 2007 Laureate Announcement," click the "Media Kit Text," and find out all the things that Richard and I are dutifully withholding from you because we're the meekly compliant media. You can freely access the press release announcing the 2007 award; the citation from Pritzker jury; the names of members of the jury; information about Lord Rogers of Riverside; and the "fact summary" of his works, exhibitions and honors.

"His story," we are told, "could well be the subject of a fine biographical motion picture." (Help! The Embargo Police are coming after me.) He is the fourth architect from the United Kingdom to be so honored (joining James Stirling, 1981; Norman Foster, 1999; and Zaha Hadid, 2004).

You can also learn the top-secret 2007 ceremony site, chosen before Rogers was picked, but particularly fitting. (I won't say another word.)

MEMO TO THE PRITZKER COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE: If you want to impose a press embargo in the future, don't spill your secrets to the entire world online. Apparently the Washington Post and the NY Times aren't as obedient as I am.

Come to think of it, the prize is based in Chicago, but Rogers isn't. What day is it now in London?