As three Spanish unknowns win architecture’s Pritzker Prize, is this the death of the celebrity ‘starchitect’?

Three relatively unknown Spanish architects – Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta - on Wednesday won the prestigious Pritzker Prize for modern works that are deeply rooted in their local surroundings.

The choice was seen as a move away from the celebrity architects that have dominated the field in favour of a trio of professionals who have worked together for 30 years in their hometown of Olot in Catalonia.

Nestled deep in the countryside of Spain’s northeast, Olot is surrounded by beech trees, marshes and volcanoes – a dramatic natural landscape that has long inspired their work.

In a globalised world, the prize announcement said, people increasingly fear “we will lose our local values, our local art, and our local customs”.

“Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta tell us that it may be possible to have both ... our roots firmly in place and our arms outstretched to the rest of the world,” it said.

Among their most celebrated buildings are the La Lira Theatre public space in Spain and the Soulages Museum in Rodez in southwestern France.

It is only the second time that the Pritzker Prize has gone to Spanish architects, and the first time that it has been shared by a trio.