On Tuesday, September 14, the names of the 5 new Praemium Imperiale Laureates announced in London, Berlin, Rome, Paris, New York and Tokyo. The 5 recipients are as follows:

• Enrico Castellani Painting
• Rebecca Horn Sculpture
• Ito Toyo Architecture
• Maurizio Pollini Music
• Sophia Loren Theatre/film

Ito Toyo is a world−renowned conceptual architect who is both constantly innovative and globally influential. In 1965 he joined Kiyonori Kikutake Architects and Associates where he had worked part−time while studying architecture at Tokyo University. In 1971 he established his own studio, mainly designing private residential housing. He received the Architecture Institute of Japan Prize for his own house, Silver Hut (1984). His plan "to make a building light and transparent" was a new concept and attracted a lot of attention in the world of architecture. More recently, he has extended his work to commercial and public facilities. The Sendai Mediatheque, a multi−purpose cultural center opened in Sendai in 2001, made a strong impact on the world of architecture and brought him fame. Now with his innovative ideas and practicing ability he is considered to be one of the leading architects in the world. While he challenges architectural common practice by such innovative designs as TOD'S Omotesando Building (2004), he also makes buildings such as ZA−KOENJI PUBLIC THEATRE (2008) that is richly designed to enhance a sense of joy and playfulness. Now 80% of his projects are being constructed outside Japan. His designs show a deep concern for the relationships between architecture, nature and the environment and continue to attract interest around the world.