A Japanese male-female duo has received the 2010 Pritzker Architecture Prize.

Ryue Nishizawa and Kazuyo Sejima, who trade as SANAA, received the award based on their “creation of buildings that successfully interact with their contexts and the activities they contain, creating a sense of fullness and experiential richness,” the jury citation says.

They will formally receive the award at a ceremony on Ellis Island, New York on May 17 with $100,000 grant, formal citation certificate, and a bronze medallion as prizes. 

SANAA’s projects include the New Museum of Contemporary Art building on the Bowery in New York City, Rolex Learning Center in Germany and The Glass Pavilion at the Toledo Museum of Art.

The recipients said they felt honoured for receiving the award.

“I have been exploring how I can make architecture that feels open, which I feel is important for a new generation of architecture,” Kazuyo said.

“Every time I finish a building I revel in possibilities and at the same time, reflect on what has happened. Each project becomes my motivation for the next project,” Ryue said.

Jay and Cindy Pritzker, of Hyatt Hotels fame, started the award in 1979 to promote buildings to the public and stimulate creativity within the architecture profession.

Pritzker Prize
pritzkerprize.com

Rolex Learning Centre Switzerland

Zollverein School of Management and Design in Germany

New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York