COVETED MAGAZINE PAGE 19.
NEWS & TRENDS //
ARATA ISOZAKI | THE PRITZKER
ARCHITECTURE PRIZE 2019
LAUREATE
Arata Isozaki, a distinguished Japanese architect,
city planner and theorist, has been selected as the
2019 Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the
award that is known internationally as architecture’s
highest honour. Lauded as a visionary amongst his
international contemporaries, Isozaki’s forward-
thinking approach, deep commitment to the “art of
space,” and transnational methodology have been
evidenced since the 1960s.
The prolific architect has been credited with
facilitating dialogue between East and West,
reinterpreting global influences within architecture,
and supporting the development of younger
generations in the field. His precision and dexterity
are demonstrated through his mastery of an
intercontinental range of building techniques,
interpretation of site and context, and intentionality
of details. Isozaki’s early successes in architecture
transpired during the era following the Allied
occupation of Japan, when the country sought to
rebuild itself after the ruins of the Second World War.
His buildings appear geometrically simple, but are
infused with theory and purpose. The Museum
of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (1981-1986 Los
Angeles, United States) was the architect’s first
international commission. Though controversial and
geographically challenging, the red Indian sandstone
building was resolved by Isozaki’s eloquent awareness
of scale through an assemblage of volumes, while
employing the golden ratio and yin yang theory
throughout, evoking the complementary nature of
western and eastern relationships.
