Arata Isozaki Receives 2019 Pritzker Prize

The 46th Pritzker Prize laureate and the eighth to hail from Japan, Isozaki has been credited with facilitating dialogue between East and West, fusing modern and postmodern, and fostering younger generations within the field.

Qatar National Convention Center, photo courtesy of Hisao Suzuki

Arata Isozaki’s foray into architecture started after the Allied occupation of Japan, since then, his six-decade career has yielded over 100 buildings around the world that appear geometrically simple but abound with theory and purpose. The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles—his first international commission and perhaps his most famous—upended expectations by featuring a red Indian sandstone construction, barrel-vaulted library, and glass pyramid skylights.

Allianz Tower, photo courtesy of Alessandra Chemollo

His other prominent works include Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, Qatar National convention Center in Doha, Shanghai Symphony Hall, Allianz Tower in Milan, and Kitakyushi City Museum of Art.

“Isozaki was one of the first Japanese architects to build outside of Japan during a time when western civilizations traditionally influenced the East, making his architecture—which was distinctively influenced by his global citizenry—truly international,” says Trom Pritzker, Chairman of Hyatt Foundation. “In a global world, architecture needs that communication.”

The 2019 Pritzker Prize ceremony will take place this May, along with a public lecture in Paris.

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