Japanese architect Arata Isozaki has been awarded the Pritzker Prize in architecture for 2019. In the process, he became the eighth Japanese to win the prestigious award. He has long been considered as one of the most renowned figures in the field of architecture and had emerged as an international leader of architecture in the 80s. Lauded by his contemporaries as a visionary, Isozaki has been practising for over five decades now.
His masterpieces span across the world with the Shanghai Symphony Hall, Team Disney Building, Allianz Tower in Italy, Qatar National Convention Hall, Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona designed for the 1992 Summer Olympic Games being a few of them. His first international commission was the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. He is also widely credited with blending the west and the east with his architectural talents. His avant-garde style has always been known to challenge existing styles and create newer paths.
One of the most influential figures in contemporary architecture, Isozaki has also been known to promote and encourage other architects by means of various collaborations.
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What is the Pritzker Prize?
The Pritzker Prize is the most prestigious award for architecture and is widely called the Nobel Prize of architecture. It is awarded “to honour a living architect or architects whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision, and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture.”
The prize was instituted by Pritzker family through their Hyatt Foundation. It is awarded annually and the prize money is 100,000 USD.
