The Pritzker Architecture Prize is awarded annually "to honor a living architect or architects whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture." Founded in 1979 by Jay A. Pritzker and his wife Cindy, the award is funded by the Pritzker family and sponsored by the Hyatt Foundation and is considered to be one of the world's premier architecture prizes; it is often referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture.
The prize is said to be awarded "irrespective of nationality, race, creed, or ideology." The recipients receive US$100,000, a citation certificate, and since 1987, a bronze medallion. The designs on the medal are inspired by the work of architect Louis Sullivan, while the Latin inspired inscription on the reverse of the medallion—firmitas, utilitas, venustas (English: firmness, commodity and delight)—is from Ancient Roman architect Vitruvius. Before 1987, a limited edition Henry Moore sculpture accompanied the monetary prize.
The Executive Director of
the prize, Martha Thorne, solicits nominations from a range of people, including
past Laureates, academics, critics and others "with expertise and interest
in the field of architecture”. Any licensed architect can also make a personal
application for the prize before November 1 every year. In 1988 Gordon Bunshaft nominated himself for the award and eventually won it. The
jury, each year consisting of five to nine "experts ... recognized
professionals in their own fields of architecture, business, education, publishing,
and culture", deliberate early the following year before announcing the
winner in spring. The prize Chair is Stephen Breyer; earlier chairs were J. Carter Brown (1979–2002), the Lord Rothschild (2003–2004), the Lord Palumbo (2005–2015) and Glenn Murcutt (2017–2018).
| S.No. | Year | Laureate | Nationality | Example of work |
| 1 | 1979 | Philip Johnson | United States | Glass House (1949) |
| 2 | 1980 | Luis Barragan | Mexico | Torres de Satélite(1957) |
| 3 | 1981 | James Stirling | United Kingdom | Seeley Historical Library (1968) |
| 4 | 1982 | Kevin Roche | United States | Knights of Columbus Building(1969) |
| 5 | 1983 | Ieoh Ming Pei | United States | National Gallery of Art, East Building (1978) |
6 |
1984 |
Richard Meier |
United States |
High Museum of Art (1983) |
7 |
1985 |
Hans Hollein |
Austria |
Abteiberg Museum(1982) |
| 8 | 1986 | Gottfried Bohm | Germany (West Germany) |
Christi Auferstehung, Cologne(1968) |
| 9 | 1987 | Kenzo Tange | Japan | St. Mary's Cathedral, Tokyo (1964) |
| 10 | 1988 | Gordon Bunshaft (Shared Prize) | United States | Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library (1963) |
| Oscar Meimeyer (Shared Prize) | Brazil | Cathedral of Brasília(1958) | ||
| 11 | 1989 | Frank Gehry | Canada United States |
Walt Disney Concert Hall(2003) |
| 12 | 1990 | Aldo Rossi | Italy | Bonnefanten Museum(1990) |
| 13 | 1991 | Robert Venturi | United States | National Gallery, Sainsbury Wing (1991) |
| 14 | 1992 | Alvaro Siza Vieira | Portugal | Pavilion of Portugal in Expo'98(1998) |
| 15 | 1993 | Fumihiko Maki | Japan | Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium(1991) |
| 16 | 1994 | Christian de Portzamparc | France | French Embassy, Berlin (2003) |
| 17 | 1995 | Tadao Ando | Japan | Church of the Light (1989) |
| 18 | 1996 | Rafael Moneo | Spain | Kursaal Palace (1999) |
| 19 | 1997 | Sverre Fehn | Norway | Norwegian Glacier Museum(1991) |
| 20 | 1998 | Renzo Paino | Italy | Kansai International Airport (1994) |
| 21 | 1999 | Norman Foster | United Kingdom | Millennium Bridge (London)(2000) |
| 22 | 2000 | Rem Koolhaas | Netherlands | Casa da Música, Porto(2003) |
| 23 | 2001 | Jacques Herzog & Pierre de Meuron | Switzerland | Tate Modern(2000) |
24 |
2002 |
Glenn Murcutt |
Australia |
Berowra Waters Inn(1983) |
25 |
2003 |
John Utzon |
Denmark |
Sydney Opera House(1973) |
| 26 | 2004 | Zaha Hadid | Iraq United Kingdom |
Contemporary Arts Center(2003) |
| 27 | 2005 | Thom Mayne | United States | San Francisco Federal Building(2007) |
| 28 | 2006 | Paulo Mendes da Rocha | Brazil | Saint Peter Chapel, Campos do Jordão, São Paulo (1987) |
29 |
2007 |
Richard Rogers |
United Kingdom |
Lloyd's building(1986) |
| 30 | 2008 | Jean Nauvel | France | Torre Agbar(2005) |
| 31 | 2009 | Peter Zumthor | Switzerland | Therme Vals(1996) |
| 32 | 2010 | Kazuyo Sejima & Ryue Nishizawa (SANAA) | Japan | 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa(2003) |
| 33 | 2011 | Eduardo Souto de Moura | Portugal | Estádio Municipal de Braga (2004) |
34 |
2012 |
Wang Shu |
China |
Ningbo Museum(2008) |
35 |
2013 |
Toyo Ito |
Japan |
Sendai Mediatheque(2001) |
36 |
2014 |
Shigeru Ban |
Japan |
Centre Pompidou-Metz (2010) |
37 |
2015 |
Frei Otto |
Germany |
Olympic Stadium, Munich(1972) |
| 38 | 2016 | Alejandro Aravena | Chile | Siamese Towers, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (2005) |
| 39 |
2017 |
Rafael
Aranda, Carme Pigem & Ramon Vilalta (RCR Arquitectes) |
Spain |
Sant Antoni Library, Barcelona (2008) |
| 40 41 |
2018 2019 |
B.V.
Doshi Arata Isozaki |
India Japan |
Indian Institute of Management,
Bangalore Festival Plaza at EXPO70 |
