On the evening of May 29, Toyo Ito accepted the 38th Pritzker Architecture Prize at Boston’s John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum on what would have been the president’s 96th birthday. Ito, who started his studio in Tokyo 42 years ago, had long been considered a leading candidate for the award. His ethereal architecture reexamines the relationship between structure and enclosure, as seen in his Sendai Mediatheque (2001), Tod’s Omotesando (2004), and his Tama Art University Library (2007). “Modernist architecture built a wall between itself and nature and relied on technology to create artificial environments with no connection to nature,” the architect told the gathering. “My work has always been about tearing down this wall.”
For the occasion, more than 300 guests assembled in I.M. Pei’s white-concrete-and-dark-glass, wedge-shaped library. Built in 1979, the building is dramatically perched along the waterfront of Columbia Point on the far reaches of the city. Many arrived via coach buses, which were speeded through rush hour traffic by police on motorcycles.
You have 0 complimentary articles remaining.
Unlimited access + premium benefits for as low as $1.99/month.