Pritzker Prize

The Pritzker Architecture Prize is awarded annually by the Hyatt Foundation to honor "a living architect
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".[1] Founded in 1979 by Jay A. Pritzker and his wife Cindy, the award is funded by the Pritzker
family and is considered to be one of the world's premier architecture prizes; it is often referred to as the Nobel
Prize of architecture.[2][3] The prize is awarded "irrespective of nationality, race, creed, or ideology"; [4] the
recipients receive US$100,000, a citation certificate, and since 1987, a bronze medallion. [5] The Latin
inscription on the reverse of the medallionfirmitas, utilitas, venustas (English: durability, utility, and beauty)
is inspired by Roman architect Vitruvius.[6] Before 1987, a limited edition Henry Moore sculpture accompanied
the monetary prize.[5]
The Executive Director of the prize, as of 2009, Martha Thorne, [7] solicits nominations from a range of people
including past Laureates, academics, critics and others "with expertise and interest in the field of architecture".
[4]
Any licensed architect can also make a personal application for the prize before 1 November every year. The
jury, each year consisting of five to nine "experts ... recognized professionals in their own fields of architecture,
business, education, publishing, and culture", deliberate early the following year before announcing the winner
in spring.[4]
Inaugural winner Philip Johnson was cited "for 50 years of imagination and vitality embodied in a myriad of
museums, theaters, libraries, houses, gardens and corporate structures". [8] The 2004 laureate Zaha Hadid was
the first female prize winner.[9] Richard Meier is the youngest winner, being 49 in 1984 at the time of the
award.[10] The 34th and most recent winners Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa were cited for "architecture
that is simultaneously delicate and powerful, precise and fluid, ingenious but not overly or overtly clever".
Year

Laureate

Nationality

1979 Philip Johnson

United
States

1980 Luis Barragn

1981

Sir James
Stirling

1982 Kevin Roche

Example work (year completed)

Ceremony
location

Ref(s
)

Glass House (1949)

Dumbarton Oaks

[12]

Mexico

Torres de Satlite (1957)

Dumbarton Oaks

[3]

United
Kingdom

Seeley Historical Library

(1968)

National Building
Museum

[13]

United
States

Knights of Columbus
Building (1969)

Art Institute of Chicago

[2][A]

1983 Ieoh Ming Pei

United
States

National Gallery of Art,

East Building (1978)

1984 Richard Meier

United
States

High Museum of Art (1983) National Gallery of Art

[2]

Abteiberg Museum (1982) The Huntington Library

[2]

Iglesia Youth Center

Library (1968)

[2]

1985 Hans Hollein

1986

Gottfried
Bhm

1987 Kenzo Tange

1988

Gordon
Bunshaft

1988

Oscar
Niemeyer

1989 Frank Gehry

1990 Aldo Rossi

1991 Robert Venturi

Austria

West
Germany

Japan

United
States

Brazil

Canada
United
States

Italy

United
States

Metropolitan Museum
of Art

Worshipful Company of
Goldsmiths

[14][15]
[B]

St. Mary's Cathedral, Tokyo

Kimbell Art Museum
(1964)

[16]

Beinecke Rare Book and

Art Institute of Chicago
Manuscript Library (1963)

[2]

Cathedral of Braslia
(1958)

Art Institute of Chicago

[2]

Walt Disney Concert Hall

(19992003)

Tdai-ji

[15][C]

Bonnefanten Museum
(1990)

Palazzo Grassi

[17]

National Gallery (London),

Palacio de Iturbide
Sainsbury Wing (1991)

[18]

Portugal

Pavilion of Portugal in
Expo'98 (1998)

Harold Washington
Library

[19]

Japan

Tokyo Metropolitan
Gymnasium (1991)

Prague Castle

[16]

France

French Embassy, Berlin

(2003)

The Commons,
Columbus, Indiana

[20]

1995 Tadao Ando

Japan

Nagaragawa Convention
Center (1995)

Palace of Versailles

[21]

1996 Rafael Moneo

Spain

Kursaal Palace (1999)

Getty Center

[15]

1997 Sverre Fehn

Norway

Norwegian Glacier
Museum (1991)

Guggenheim Museum
Bilbao

[22]

1998 Renzo Piano

Italy

Kansai International
Airport (1994)

White House

[23]

Millennium Bridge
(London) (2000)

Altes Museum

[15]

Embassy of the
Netherlands in Berlin
(2003)

Jerusalem
Archaeological Park

[24]

Tate Modern (2000)

Monticello

[25]

1992

lvaro Siza
Vieira

1993 Fumihiko Maki

1994

1999

Christian de
Portzamparc

Norman
Foster

2000 Rem Koolhaas

2001

Herzog & de
Meuron

United
Kingdom

Netherlan
ds

Switzerlan
d

2002 Glenn Murcutt

Australia

Berowra Waters Inn (1983)

Michelangelo's
Campidoglio

[26]

2003 Jrn Utzon

Denmark

Sydney Opera House

(1973)

Royal Academy of Fine

Arts of San Fernando

[27]

Bridge Pavilion (2008)

Hermitage Museum

[15][D]

San Francisco Federal

Building (2007)

Pritzker Pavilion,
Millennium Park

[28]

Estdio Serra Dourada

(1975)

Dolmabahe Palace

[29]

Lloyd's building (1986)

Banqueting House,
Whitehall

[30]

France

Torre Agbar (2005)

Library of Congress

[15]

Switzerlan

Therme Vals (1996)

Legislative Palace of
the City Council,
Buenos Aires

[15]

Japan

21st Century Museum of

Contemporary Art,
Kanazawa (2003)

Ellis Island

[15]

2004 Zaha Hadid

United
Kingdom
Iraq

2005 Thom Mayne

2006

Paulo Mendes
da Rocha

2007

Richard
Rogers

United
States

Brazil

United
Kingdom

2008 Jean Nouvel

2009

Peter
Zumthor

Kazuyo
Sejima and
2010 Ryue
Nishizawa
(SANAA)