Design
2019 Pritzker Prize Goes to Japanese Architect Arata Isozaki
The 87-year-old architect has designed more than 100 buildings around the world, with an uncommon degree of stylistic versatility.
Japanese architect Arata Isozaki has won the 2019 Pritzker Architecture Prize—the field’s top honor. Considered “the Nobel of architecture,” the Pritzker Prize is bestowed annually by Chicago’s Pritzker family through its Hyatt Foundation. The eight-person jury was chaired this year by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.
In its citation, the jury wrote of 87-year-old Isozaki: “Possessing a profound knowledge of architectural history and theory, and embracing the avant-garde, he never merely replicated the status quo but challenged it. And in his search for meaningful architecture, he created buildings of great quality that to this day defy categorizations, reflect his constant evolution, and are always fresh in their approach.”