Tokyo: Toyo Ito to be officially named 2010 architecture laureate

Toyo Ito, the Japanese architect behind The U House, VivoCity and the Taichung Metropolitan Opera House, will be named the 2010 architecture laureate for the prestigious Praemium Imperale at an official awards ceremony to be held in Tokyo next week.

Awarded on behalf of the Japan Art Association by the Imperial family, the prize recognises high cultural achievements in art-related fields such as sculpture, painting, architecture, music and film/theatre (areas of achievement which are not covered by the Nobel Prizes).

Nominees are recommended by a panel of international advisers and certified by an anonymous committee of the Japan Art Association. Honorary advisors have previously included Jacques Chirac, David Rockefeller, Helmut Schmidt and Richard von Weizsacker.

Previous winners under the architecture category include Zaha Hadid (2009), Peter Zumthor (2008), and Herzog & de Meuron (2007). The prize carries with it a gold medal and 15 million Yen (a little over £110,000). 

Follow the link to Design Boom's coverage of Toyo Ito's win and his exhibition of the Taichung Opera House project at the 2010 Venice Biennale.