The Pritzker Prize 2006 was awarded to Paulo Mendes da Rocha

Sao Paulo/Los Angeles - This year's Pritzker Prize for Architecture was awarded on Sunday to Brazilian architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha, who has contributed significantly to the beautification of the Brazilian megacity Sao Paulo over the past fifty years. The seventy-seven-year-old architect is the second Brazilian to receive the award. In 1988, the prize was awarded to Óscar Niemeyer, who was involved in the design of the modern Brazilian metropolises Brasília and Rio de Janeiro.
The lines of Mendes's buildings are characterized by sobriety, which he also imparted to Sao Paulo. "His distinctive concrete materials and thoughtful yet remarkably honest construction methods create striking and impressive internationally recognized buildings," the jury justified the award in Los Angeles.
One of Mendes's buildings is the Brazilian Museum of Sculpture, built in 1988. The multi-level external spaces of the building provide the city residents with a place to relax amidst the concrete jungle.
Mendes da Rocha called the award a recognition of Brazilian and Latin American architects. "I believe that this award and the appreciation of my work is a way to highlight the importance of architecture in Latin America and the space it has recently gained," the awarded architect told Reuters.
The Pritzker Prize has been awarded since 1979 and is often referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture. According to the organizers, it honors living architects whose work demonstrates not only talent and vision, but also significantly contributes to the development of humanity.

> overview of previous laureates
> www.pritzkerprize.com