2014 Pritzker Prize laureate announced

Japanese architect Shigeru Ban has been awarded this year's prestigious Pritzker Prize. He is best known for his post-disaster zone design projects, such as his temporary housing project in Onagawa, one of the coastal communities devastated by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that left thousands homeless. He also designed Christchurch's cardboard cathedral to replace the historic cathedral that was a casualty of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

From Haiti to Riwanda to China, Ban's low-cost structures have become a symbol of hope for people rebuilding their lives after natural disasters. "For me there is no difference between monumental architecture and temporary structures in disaster areas," he says. "They give me the same satisfaction."

Images: Shigeru Ban, 2014 Pritzker Prize laureate and his cardboard cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand

2013 Pritzker Prize winner announced

Japanese architect Toyo Ito has been awarded this year's prestigious Pritzker Prize. Along with Tadao Ando, the 1995 Pritzker laureate, Ito is a superstar of Japanese architecture. He is best known for his 2001 Sendai Mediatheque, a seven-story glass box that distills a series of complex technical break thoughs in its spare, even-keeled finish. His largest and most ambitious project, the 620,000 square-foot Taichung Metropolitan Opera House, is under construction in Taiwan and scheduled to open next year.
Images: Toyo Ito, 2013 Pritzker Prize laureate and his Sendai Mediatheque

Glenn Murcutt ruled out for Australia's new Venice pavilion

Pritzker Prize-winning architect Glenn Murcutt has been ruled out of contention for Australia's new Venice Biennale pavilion because he doesn't have previous experience with similar cultural projects. Spokesperson Simon Mordant, who is coordinating the project, says: "This has to start with the credentials and go on to the design, not the other way around."

Image: Arthur and Yvonne Boyd Education Centre, NSW Australia, designed by architect Glenn Murcutt

2011 Pritzker Prize for architecture to be announced in China

The Hyatt Foundation's Pritzker Prize ceremony will be held in Beijing this year. Foundation Chairman Thomas Pritzker said China was a particularly appropriate location because of the number of projects Pritzker laureates have completed or are in the process of completing there, including Zaha Hadid's new opera house in Guangzhou; Rem Koolhaas' Shenzen Stock Exchange and Beijing China Central Televsion Tower; and Norman Foster's Hong Kong International Airport.

Image: Zaha Hadid's opera house in Guangzhou, China