Praemium Imperiale 2006 was awarded to Frei Otto

On September 7, 2006, the laureates of this year's Praemium Imperiale were announced in Berlin. The most prestigious Japanese cultural award in the field of architecture was awarded for his lifetime work to Frei Otto. This year's selection committee justified their choice as follows: “This German architect has distinguished himself with his innovative approaches to international construction since 1950. He gained worldwide fame primarily through his ideas of environmentally friendly architecture and adaptable construction technologies. His motto is: to create buildings that are in harmony with nature.”
Despite his advanced age, Frei Otto continues to create. Among his latest projects was the Japanese pavilion at Expo 2000 (in collaboration with Shigeru Ban), and in the coming years, we can expect the main Stuttgart station designed in partnership with the firm Ingenhoven Overdiek. Info>