Norman Foster

Sir Norman Foster's pursuit of the art and science of architecture has resulted in the triumph of building after building, each in its own unique way. He has reinvented the tall building, creating Europe's tallest and possibly the first environmentally conscious skyscraper, the Commerzbank in Frankfurt. He is passionate about the environment and designs accordingly. From his earliest projects, he was clear that he would adopt the most advanced technology appropriate to the task, producing site-sensitive results, always with imaginative solutions to design problems. His  design objectives are not only oriented towards the overall beauty and functionality of a project, but also towards the well-being of the people who will be its end users. This social dimension of his work means that he does his utmost to transform and improve the quality of life. In the early 1970s, he pioneered the notion that the workplace could be a pleasant environment with one of his first notable projects, the Willis Faber and Dumas offices, which included a swimming pool and a grassy rooftop park for employees.

In the three decades since, Sir Norman has created a collection of buildings and products noted for their clarity, invention and sheer artistic virtuosity. His work ranges from the modest but exquisite Sackler Galleries extension to the existing galleries of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, and the simple, serene limestone extension to the Joslyn Museum in Omaha, Nebraska, to a pair of major mega-projects, both in Hong Kong, the world's largest air terminal and the acclaimed Bank of Hong Kong and Shanghai.

A testament to his ability to create remarkable solutions for diverse programmes in urban environments is his sensitive siting and design of the Carré d'Art, a cultural centre next to a revered Roman temple, dating back to 500 BC, in the heart of Nîmes, France. Rarely has such a juxtaposition of contemporary and ancient architecture been so successfully achieved. His transformation of more recent historical icons, the Reichstag in Berlin and the British Museum's new Great Court, are brilliantly redesigned renovations.

His versatility in design is further demonstrated by his experimentation and innovation in designing a wide range of products, from a simple door handle to tables and tableware, chairs and other furniture for storage systems, book shelves, desks, exhibition stands and street furniture, as well as a solar-powered bus and a private motor yacht. His process of discovery, inspiration, invention and innovation is continuous.

Sir Norman is awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize for his unwavering devotion to the principles of architecture as an art form, for his contribution to the definition of high-tech architecture and for his appreciation of the human values involved in the production of well-designed projects, with the wish for continued success in the new millennium.