Upon learning of his victory, Zumthor, in a response statement, emphasized the modestness of his list of achievements, which, he said, gives hope to young architects: they, too, can achieve recognition by working on a small scale and not engaging in self-promotion.
According to polls of the architectural community, Zumthor was the favorite for this year's award; however, this is not surprising - among the masters of his generation (he is 65 years old) there are practically no other really large figures left who have not yet become laureates, and given that the prize is awarded for a vital contribution, then the younger masters will most likely have to wait your turn. Another surprise is that Zumthor received the award just now. After all, despite his honest to the point of irreconcilability and, in his own words, passionate approach to architectural creativity, he is an undeniable size and model for most colleagues around the world.
The award ceremony will be held for the first time in Latin America - it will take place in May 2009 in Buenos Aires.
