Pritzker-winning Japanese architect Isozaki passes away aged 91
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The Pritzker committee appreciated the blend of influences found in his work when awarding him the 2019 honor.
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Japanese architect Arata Isozaki
The Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Arata Isozaki noted for his avant-garde style and category-defying creations, died at the age of 91, his office announced Friday.
Isozaki died of old age on Wednesday at his home in Okinawa, with just his close relatives attending his funeral, the office said in an email to AFP.
At a time when US and European styles dominated global architecture, Isozaki was seen as a post-modern giant who integrated inspirations from Asian and Western culture and history in his creations.
Isozaki's best-known works include the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, which was constructed for the 1992 Summer Olympics. He is a protege of the great Kenzo Tange, the first Japanese architect to earn the Pritzker Prize.
He also designed the Team Disney Building, the Walt Disney Company's administrative offices in Florida, among other renowned landmarks.
some Isozaki bangers. RIP pic.twitter.com/NVZTDzrdY1
— Justin Fowler (@jmfowl) December 29, 2022
Isozaki, who was born in Oita, southwestern Japan, in 1931, was a well-known author and social critic.
When Hiroshima and Nagasaki were devastated, he was 14 years old, and the postwar devastation of Japan lingered with him.
On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
"I grew up near ground zero. It was in complete ruins, and there was no architecture, no buildings, and not even a city," he said.
"So, my first experience of architecture was the void of architecture, and I began to consider how people might rebuild their homes and cities."
The Pritzker committee appreciated the blend of influences found in his work when awarding him the 2019 honor.
"Isozaki was one of the first Japanese architects to build outside of Japan during a time when Western civilizations traditionally influenced the East," said Tom Pritzker, chairman of Hyatt Foundation, the award's sponsor, as quoted by AFP.
Isozaki's work "was distinctively influenced by his global citizenry — truly international," he stressed.
The jury regarded his architecture as work that "never merely duplicated the status quo."
"His search for meaningful architecture was reflected in his buildings that, to this day, defy stylistic categorizations."
