The 71-year-old Japanese architect has long been featured on the list of possible candidates for this award, which are compiled by media and bloggers every year. This time he took the honorable second place after Stephen Hall in the number of Internet users who supported him, but in reality he was ahead of him.
The jury noted his constant creative searches, leading Ito to original in appearance, innovative in design and functional projects that deviate from the usual solutions: just remember the Tod's store and the library of the Tama University of Arts, located in Tokyo, or the Sendai Media Library, which has withstood several earthquakes. of different strength.
Toyo Ito is not looking for novelty for the sake of a formal experiment: by his own admission, he is trying to create comfortable spaces that free a person from the restrictions imposed by society. But each building upon its completion seems imperfect to the author, and he again begins to search for an ideal solution. This constant work is necessary for oneself - the reason for Ito's lack of an individual style: each of his buildings is different from the others, since it is a response to specific tasks, context, plot.
In the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Toyo Ito is working with a group of architects to design new housing for the affected areas, and for an exhibition on this topic he received the Golden Lion at the 2012 Venice Biennale.
Also important is the role of Ito as a teacher, transferring his experience and principles to the younger generation, first of all, on the basis of his office. His most famous student is Kazuyo Shojima, the founder of SANAA, who became a Pritzker laureate before himself, in 2010.
The award ceremony will take place on May 29, 2013 in Boston, at the J. F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, built by J. M. Pei. Toyo Ito will be awarded a $ 100,000 prize and a bronze medal.
N. F.
