Organizers of the prestigious international architecture award praised Yamamoto’s designs for their ability to be “the background and foreground of everyday life.” Through his buildings, the Japanese architect strives above all to promote social relations and harmony between different cultures and stages of life, while respecting the freedom of each individual. According to the jury, this approach is necessary for designing cities of the future, in which it will be especially important to create spaces for people to interact. Riken Yamamoto became the 53rd Pritzker Prize winner and the ninth from Japan. He was born in Beijing and studied architecture in Tokyo before founding his own studio in 1973. Yamamoto & Field Shop Co’s portfolio includes many private homes, schools, university campuses, public buildings, museums, and social housing projects.
Photo: Tom Welsh; Kouichi Satake ; Tomio Ohashi ; Mitsumasa Fujitsuka .
