Since the beginning of the conflict, the Security Council has struggled to speak with one voice, as the United States used its veto power several times
world4 days ago
'My long-term objective is to design architecture that can bring joy to people around it, not only to my clients': An emotional Yamamoto
Buildings should make people happy, the freshly crowned winner of this year's Pritzker Architecture Prize, Japan's Riken Yamamoto, said on Thursday.
"My long-term objective is to design architecture that can bring joy to people around it, not only to my clients," an emotional Yamamoto told reporters in Tokyo.
"Now seeing you reporting on me like this, I feel it's okay to accept that I am a good architect," the 78-year-old said after fighting back tears.
Yamamoto was named on Tuesday as Japan's ninth winner -- no country has more -- of the Pritzker, seen as architecture's highest honour.
Yamamoto won "above all for reminding us that in architecture, as in democracy, spaces must be created by the resolve of the people," the Pritzker citation said.
His projects are credited with promoting human contact, such as the Koyasu Elementary School in Yokohama where terraces connect every classroom and encourage its 1,000 pupils to mix.
His transparent Hiroshima Nishi Fire Station gives the public a peek at the fire engines and personnel inside while the Yokosuka Museum of Art makes visitors feel immersed in the natural scenery.
Born in Beijing but growing up in Japan, other works include The Circle complex at Zurich Airport in Switzerland and the Tianjin Library in China, full of light with huge walls of books.
Other Japanese winners of the Pritzker, first awarded in 1979, include Kenzo Tange in 1987, Fumihiko Maki in 1993, duo Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa in 2010 and Arata Isozaki in 2019.
"Almost 20 per cent of our laureates are from Japan, which is the most of any nationality in the world," said Tom Pritzker, whose father Jay Pritzker of the Hyatt hotel chain started the award.
"Having spent a lot of time in Japan, what I suggest (as the reason) is Japanese culture's relationship to nature that enables this sort of sensitive contribution that Japanese architecture has made," he said at Thursday's event at the US embassy in Tokyo.
Since the beginning of the conflict, the Security Council has struggled to speak with one voice, as the United States used its veto power several times
world4 days ago
Super Heavy unexpectedly splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico instead of returning to land
world5 days ago
The 19-year-old dreamt of competing abroad, and said she wanted to be like Ronaldo and Messi
world5 days ago
Hochstein's mission marks a last-ditch attempt by the outgoing US administration to clinch a ceasefire as diplomacy to end the Gaza war appears totally adrift
world6 days ago
This will be his first visit since the beginning of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia around three years ago
world6 days ago
The changes state that any conventional attack on Russia, aided by a nuclear power, could be considered to be a joint attack
world6 days ago
The country launched a probe in March 2021 into WhatsApp's privacy policy, which allowed data sharing with Facebook and its units, sparking global backlash
world6 days ago
This time around, Trump wants the Senate to give up that gatekeeping role and allow him to make 'recess appointments'
world1 week ago