"During more than 50 years of his practice, Arata Isozaki influenced world architecture through his works, works, and exhibitions. Isozaki's work can be called heterogeneous and extraordinary. It is quite obvious that he never followed trends, but went his own way," the Pritzker Committee reported.
Arata Isozaki is a 2019 Pritzker Prize winner. Image source: pritzkerprize.com
Arata Isozaki was born in Japan, on the island of Kyushu, in 1931. On the day of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, which was on a nearby island across the strait, his hometown of Oita was also destroyed. The architect's theory that buildings are not palaces but temporary structures whose role is to serve man and his feelings is based on Isozaki's childhood experiences.
“When I was old enough to begin to understand the world, my hometown burned down. It was in ruins. I was surrounded only by barracks and shelters. My first experience in architecture was dictated by the absence of architecture. I started thinking about how people can rebuild their homes and cities," says Isozaki
After graduating from the University of Tokyo, Isozaki began his career under the guidance of Kenzo Tange, the founder of the Japanese Metabolism, a movement of architects originally called the Burnt Ash School. In collaboration with other Japanese architects, Isozaki works on urban renewal and development projects. It builds residential buildings and infrastructure in Fukuoka, Osaka and Tokyo. For his hometown, Isozaki designed a library building that remains an outstanding example of brutalist architecture today.
The Oita Prefectural Library, designed by Arata Isozaki in 1966. Photo: Yasuhiro Ishimoto. Image source: pritzkerprize.com
In 1962, the architect developed a futuristic master plan for Shinjuku, "City in the Air", proposing to raise a new urban layer - houses, roads, infrastructure - over the old city. The project remained on paper, but entered the history of architecture as one of the outstanding examples of alternative urbanism. Since 1963, the architect continued his career as the founder of the company Arata Isozaki & Associates, and gained international fame by designing the Festival Plaza exhibition pavilion at the World Exhibition EXPO-1970, which was held for the first time in Japan, in Osaka.
The Festival Plaza outdoor pavilion at the EXPO-1970 World Exhibition, designed by Arata Isozaki
After his success at the EXPO, Arata Isozaki became a popular architect in the New and Old Worlds. We wrote about his most famous works in the article dedicated to his birthday.
Museo Domus is an interactive museum on the coast of Spain dedicated to human anatomy, designed by Arata Isozaki. Photo: Hisao Suzuki Image source: pritzkerprize.com
MOCA is the Museum of Modern Art in Los Angeles, designed by Arata Isozaki. Photo: Yasuhiro Ishimoto. Image source: pritzkerprize.com
Art Tower Mito is an art complex in Mito, Japan, designed by Arata Isozaki. Photo: Yasuhiro Ishimoto. Image source: pritzkerprize.com
Allianz Tower is a sailing tower in Milan designed by Arata Isozaki and Andrea Maffei. Photo: Alessandra Chemollo. Image source: pritzkerprize.com
The 2019 Pritzker Prize ceremony for Arati Isozaki will take place in May, in Versailles, France.
