Arata Isozaki

Arata Isozaki, born in Ōita, Kyushu Island, Japan, is known as a versatile, influential and truly international architect. By establishing his own practice in the 1960s, Isozaki became the first Japanese architect to forge a deep and lasting relationship between East and West. He possesses a deep knowledge of architectural history and theory and, at the same time, embraces the avant-garde, so he never simply reproduced the status quo, but challenged it. And in his quest for meaningful architecture, he created buildings of great quality that to this day defy categorisation, reflect his constant evolution and are always fresh in their approach.

During the more than 50 years that Arata Isozaki has been in practice, he has had an impact on world architecture through his works, writings, exhibitions, the organisation of major conferences and his participation in competition juries. He has supported many young architects around the world to have the opportunity to realise their potential. In initiatives such as the Fukuoka Nexus World Housing project (1988-1991) or Toyama Prefecture's Machi-no-Kao ("the face of the city") programme (1991-1999), he invited young international architects to develop catalytic projects in Japan.

Isozaki's work has been described as heterogeneous and encompasses depictions ranging from the vernacular to high-tech. What is clear is that he has not followed trends, but has forged his own path. An early exploration of a new vision of the city is seen in the City in the Air project of the early 1960s for a multi-layered city towering over the traditional city. His early works in his native Japan include a masterpiece of Japanese brutalism, the Ōita Prefectural Library (1966). Projects such as the Kitakyushu Central Library (1974) and the Gunma Prefectural Museum of Modern Art, opened in 1974, reveal an exploration of a more personal architecture. In the museum, the clear geometry of the cube reflects his fascination with the void and the grid, as he seeks to achieve a balance in which to display constantly changing works of art.

Arata Isozaki's scope and repertoire have expanded over the years to include projects of various scales and typologies in many countries. In the United States, Isozaki is probably best known for his work on the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles (1986) and the Team Disney Building in Florida (1991). The first is a study of the vault or what he calls the "rhetoric of the cylinder" and the second is evidenced by a more playful use of forms with a post-modern touch.

Many know his work through such significant buildings as the Palau Sant Jordi for the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. He has produced exemplary works in China, such as the CAFA (Central Academy of Fine Arts)  Art Museum in Beijing, which opened in 2008, and the Shenzhen Cultural Centre (2007) in Shenzhen, Guangdong.

Isozaki has shown extraordinary dynamism in recent years with works such as the Qatar Convention Centre (2011), the Ark Nova inflatable mobile concert hall (2013) designed with Anish Kapoor for the regions of Japan affected by the 2011 tsunami, and the powerful but elegant Allianz Tower in Milan, inaugurated in 2018. Once again, it is testament to his ability to understand the context in all its complexity and create a remarkable, well-crafted and inspiring building that succeeds on an urban scale and in the interior spaces.

Clearly, he is one of the most influential figures in contemporary world architecture in a constant search, unafraid to change and try new ideas. His architecture is based on a deep understanding, not only of architecture, but also of philosophy, history, theory and culture. He has united East and West, not through mimicry or collage, but by forging new paths. He has set an example of generosity by supporting other architects and encouraging them in competitions or collaborative work. For all these reasons, the jury has awarded Arata Isozaki the 2019 Pritzker Architecture Prize.