2024 Pritzker Prize Image Book

2024 Laureate
Riken Yamamoto
Japan
Image Book
Riken Yamamoto
Sponsored by The Hyatt Foundation

The following pages contain images of and
text about the architecture of Riken Yamamoto.
On the pritzkerprize.com website, a selection
of these photographs and drawings have been
linked to high resolution images that may be
used for printing or broadcast in relation to the
announcement of Riken Yamamoto being named
the 2024 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate.
Photographs may not be reproduced for
commercial or personal use without written
consent from the photographers.
The photographer/photo libraries/artists
must be credited if noted.
Use of the captions is optional.
All images are copyright of the respective
photographers and artists cited, and courtesy
of The Pritzker Architecture Prize.
For more information and videos, please visit
pritzkerprize.com.
Use #pritzkerarchitectureprize for social media.
2
Yamakawa
Villa
1977
Nagano, Japan
Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi
The architect’s earliest work is a private residence situated in woods, designed to feel entirely like
an open-air terrace and enjoyed during the warmer months. The non-prescriptive terrace seamlessly
transitions into a living room and dining room, while sleeping quarters and the kitchen are contained
in small dispersed rooms. The wooden beams that cover the floor below and pitched ceiling above
run in parallel throughout the length of this narrow building, inducing serenity and evoking the nature
of its immediate surroundings.
3 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Yamakawa Villa, 1977, Nagano, Japan.
Yamakawa
Villa
1977
Nagano, Japan
4 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Yamakawa Villa, 1977, Nagano, Japan.
Ishii House
1978
Kawasaki,
Japan
Photo courtesy of Shinkenchiku Sha
Built for two artists, this residence features a pavilion-like room with a wide staircase that serves as a
stage to host performances. A curtain wall beckons nature and neighbors, while living quarters remain
embedded beneath, resulting in a home that is engrained in the public realm, where all visible areas
offer a threshold of opportunity for the neighborhood.
5 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Ishii House, 1978, Kawasaki, Japan.
GAZEBO
1986
Yokohama,
Japan
Photo courtesy of Ryuuji Miyamoto
Yamamoto’s own home is designed to invoke interaction with neighbors from terraces and rooftops.
The Land Readjustment Act (1954) significantly widened the main road from 4- to 26 meters, drastically
changing the environment—socially, emotionally and architecturally. The fraternity of small houses that
once nurtured the community gave way to the emergence of four- and five-story mixed-use buildings
that satisfy the new infrastructure and pace of life, with commerce on the ground floor and leased
apartments on the top floors. The architect creates thresholds above, giving way to exchanges with
neighbors who garden and retreat respectively, yet together, from one terrace or rooftop to another.
6 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, GAZEBO, 1986, Yokohama, Japan 1986.
GAZEBO
1986
Yokohama,
Japan
Photo courtesy of Shigeru Ohno
7 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, GAZEBO, 1986, Yokohama, Japan 1986.
Hotakubo
Housing
1991
Kumamoto,
Japan
Yamamoto’s first social housing project encompasses sixteen clusters of housing that yield 110
units, arranged around a tree-lined central square that may only be accessed by passing through
a residence. Inspired by traditional Japanese machiya and Greek oikos housing that fostered
collectivism amongst neighbors, Yamamoto prompts a passage from private to semi-public space,
resulting in a threshold that creates a subsociety, enabling the “Local Community Area” while
respecting privacy of individual families. Occupational limitations enforced by the Public Housing
Act result in small units, so each features a terrace that faces the square, expanding living areas
and connecting residents to the natural environment.
8 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Hotakubo Housing, 1991, Kumamoto, Japan.
Hotakubo
Housing
1991
Kumamoto,
Japan
Hotakubo
Housing
1991
Kumamoto,
Japan
Hotakubo
Housing
1991
Kumamoto,
Japan
Iwadeyama
Junior High
School
1996
Ōsaki, Japan
Photo courtesy of Mitsumasa Fujitsuka
Situated atop a hill in a region of north winds, the curved “wind wing” mitigates the severe weather
and also reflects light into the school, which is useful during the winter months of fleeting daylight.
Inside, the generous atrium is the hub of the school, supporting the society of students. A large
multipurpose room known as the “student forum” is located centrally on the second floor with locker
spaces that expand into student lounges floating above. A conventional teacher’s lounge is replaced
by a dedicated research room for educators to pursue specialties. The community must enter the
school through a transparent promenade above “Forest Plaza,” a flexible public space designed to
evolve as the population of the school expands and lessens over time.
12 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Iwadeyama Junior High School, 1996, Ōsaki, Japan.
Iwadeyama
Junior High
School
1996
Ōsaki, Japan
13 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Iwadeyama Junior High School, 1996, Ōsaki, Japan.
Saitama
Prefectural
University
1999
Koshigaya,
Japan
Photo courtesy of Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop
Specializing in nursing and health sciences, this university is composed of nine buildings connected
by terraces that transition into walkways through sloping green spaces and courtyards. Each
transparent volume allows views from one classroom to another, but also from one building to the
next encouraging interdisciplinary learning and interaction. All laboratories are located on the first
floor, furthering the relational qualities between each specialty. The classrooms, auditorium, library,
gymnasium, cafeteria and faculty rooms are located throughout the campus, however, distinguishing
where one building ends and another begins is intentionally blurred, prompting an architectural
language of its own.
14 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Saitama Prefectural University, 1999, Koshigaya, Japan.
Saitama
Prefectural
University
1999
Koshigaya,
Japan
Saitama
Prefectural
University
1999
Koshigaya,
Japan
Hiroshima
Nishi Fire
Station
2000
Hiroshima,
Japan
The façade, interior walls and floors of this building are constructed of glass, lending the appearance
of an entirely transparent volume. The atrium is central to the building, where the training and
activity of firefighters is spotlighted, encouraging passersby to view and engage with those who are
protecting the community, resulting in a reciprocal commitment between the civil servants and the
citizens they serve. Fire prevention and public education for all ages are integral to the program, and
the exhibition lobby and fourth floor terrace space are programmed for public use.
17 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Hiroshima Nishi Fire Station, 2000, Hiroshima, Japan.
Hiroshima
Nishi Fire
Station
2000
Hiroshima,
Japan
Hiroshima
Nishi Fire
Station
2000
Hiroshima,
Japan
Hiroshima
Nishi Fire
Station
2000
Hiroshima,
Japan
Future
University of
Hakodate
2000
Hakodate,
Japan
Photo courtesy of Isao Aihara
The university, focusing on information sciences, is designed to create a relational society between
students and teachers, prioritizing mutual accessibility within the community. Intimacy is achieved
amidst the vast scale of the building. The reception area features large sunken circular pods,
flexible areas to host presentations and discussions, available to students and the public alike. The
classrooms, auditorium and library are lined with glass walls providing the possibility for everyone to
peer, engage and learn. Open common areas are placed just outside of the transparent rooms, on
overlapping levels, allowing users to feel connected to activities all around them. Even the interiors
of professor research rooms are visible from beyond their walls, and surrounded by lightweight
aluminum furniture, encouraging students to draw near.
21 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Future University of Hakodate, 2000, Hakodate, Japan.
Future
University of
Hakodate
2000
Hakodate,
Japan
22 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Future University of Hakodate, 2000, Hakodate, Japan.
Shinonome
Canal Court
CODAN
2003
Tokyo, Japan
This mixed-use building creates a community for those who work in this redeveloped district of
Tokyo Bay. The upper levels consist of housing units designed for a range of occupants, from
families with young children to seniors, to those individuals requiring flexible work space, while the
lower levels support urban living, with commercial retailers, restaurants, art galleries, facilities for
seniors and a childcare center. The six blocks are connected by a common deck, terraces and green
spaces on the second floor, creating a miniature city for the neighbors residing together and the
public passing through.
23 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Shinonome Canal Court CODAN, 2003, Tokyo, Japan.
Ecoms House
2004
Tosu, Japan
This 115-square meter SOHO (small office home office) is a prototype that showcases the
efficiency of aluminum as a building material. Lightweight, durable and recyclable, aluminum lattice
panels are alternated with aluminum sheets and glass, creating a checkered exterior skin, which
may be interchanged and replaced by a variety of mechanisms including louvered or projected
windows, in glass or aluminum, offering adaptability and affordability. This model features a high
second level ceiling at 3.4-meters, and future editions of this flexible space may be extended to
include a third level.
24 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Ecoms House, 2004, Tosu, Japan.
Jian Wai
SOHO
2004
Beijing,
People’s
Republic of
China
Located just east of Tiananmen Square, this expansive project including nine residential towers
and four SOHO (small office home office) buildings proved a novel concept in Beijing at the time,
integrating work spaces with residences. The three lower levels of the complex support 177
commercial spaces, while the upper levels comprise the residences. The bustling square is lined
with shops, restaurants, public facilities and a sunken garden, inviting all into this urban experience.
Traffic patterns are diverted subterranean, furthering a continuous space for pedestrians.
25 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Jian Wai SOHO, 2004, Beijing, People’s Republic of China.
Jian Wai
SOHO
2004
Beijing,
People’s
Republic of
China
26 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Jian Wai SOHO, 2004, Beijing, People’s Republic of China.
Yokosuka
Museum of Art
2006
Yokosuka,
Japan
Considering the user experience first, Yokosuka Museum of Art is envisioned as both a destination
for travelers and a daily reprieve for locals. The inviting serpentine entrance evokes the surrounding
Tokyo Bay and nearby mountains, while many of the galleries are underground, providing those who
approach with a clear, undisturbed visual experience of the natural geography. Visitors may view
through to the landscape and other galleries from round cutouts in all common spaces, uniting these
otherwise distinctive environments so that those inside are impressed upon not only by the artwork,
but by the place and activity of others alongside them. The restaurant, with glass windows spanning
the entire length, is on the ground floor, evoking a resort-like venue during all seasons.
27 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Yokosuka Museum of Art, 2006, Yokosuka, Japan.
Yokosuka
Museum of Art
2006
Yokosuka,
Japan
28 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Yokosuka Museum of Art, 2006, Yokosuka, Japan.
Fussa City Hall
2008
Tokyo, Japan
Photo courtesy of Sergio Pirrone
Fussa City Hall is conceived as two mid-rise towers, rather than one high-rise, to compliment the
surrounding neighborhood of low-rise buildings. Low hills on the site are reflected in the sloped
curved edges of the building. The continuity of material evokes natural terrain as the concave base
invites visitors to recline and rest, while the green public rooftop and lower levels are designated for
flexible public programming.
29 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Fussa City Hall, 2008, Tokyo, Japan.
Fussa City Hall
2008
Tokyo, Japan
30 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Fussa City Hall, 2008, Tokyo, Japan.
Pangyo
Housing
2010
Seongnam,
Republic of
Korea
Photo courtesy of Nam Goongsun
Photo courtesy of Kouichi Satake
A complex of nine low-rise housing blocks is designed with nonprescriptive transparent ground
floor volumes that catalyze interconnectedness between neighbors, assuring that even those
residents who live alone don’t dwell in isolation. A communal deck across the second floor
encourages interaction, featuring spaces for gathering, playgrounds, gardens and bridges that
connect one housing block to another.
31 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Pangyo Housing, 2010, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
Pangyo
Housing
2010
Seongnam,
Republic of
Korea
Photo courtesy of Nam Goongsun
Photo courtesy of GA Photographers
32 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Pangyo Housing, 2010, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
Tianjin Library
2012
Tianjin, People’s
Republic of
China
Photo courtesy of Nacasa & Partners
A large entry hall spans north to south along the entirety of Tianjin Library, yielding maximum
access of this large-scale building. The collection of six million books lines its bookshelves, which
are incorporated into the intersecting grid of wall beams, up to 30-meters in length, resulting in
seemingly floating stacks. Each of the five levels features a mezzanine, so that the building appears
as ten crisscrossing levels, and from any floor, visitors may view several other levels around them
due to the vast openness of the design. The outer skin of the library is composed of stone louvers to
not only mitigate the effects of yellow dust conditions but also achieve transparency. A resulting soft
light lends to the ambience of the many diverse reading rooms, reflecting the wide range of readers,
across generations, identities and interests, who frequent this public venue.
33 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Tianjin Library, 2012, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China.
Tianjin Library
2012
Tianjin, People’s
Republic of
China
Tianjin Library
2012
Tianjin, People’s
Republic of
China
Koyasu
Elementary
School
2018
Yokohama,
Japan
The construction of nearby large condominiums caused an influx of students within the growing
community, resulting in the need to expand and rebuild the neighborhood school. Even the youngest
citizens comprise a society at Kosayu Elementary School. Large undivided terraces extend and
connect every classroom, creating flexible areas that allow views into and from the learning spaces,
and encourage interaction amongst the 1000 students.
36 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Koyasu Elementary School, 2018, Yokohama, Japan.
Koyasu
Elementary
School
2018
Yokohama,
Japan
Koyasu
Elementary
School
2018
Yokohama,
Japan
THE CIRCLE at
Zürich Airport
2020
Zürich,
Switzerland
Photo courtesy of Flughafen Zürich AG
Situated between a highway and a large park, THE CIRCLE, itself, is the threshold between the
airport and local city. Demonstrating a diverse mastery of scale, one side of the building features
an expansive uniform façade, while the other unlocks its own city that evokes medieval towns
of Switzerland imbued with new technologies evolved for present and future lifestyles. The main
passageways, inspired by the German gasse, translating to “alley,” lead to a convention center,
hotels, restaurants, wellness centers, retail storefronts and a public events space. Indoors and
outdoors blend seamlessly, as glass walls and ceilings yield maximum transparency. On upper floors,
the frontal walls of business headquarters and office spaces and are lined with thin concrete columns
spaced equidistantly, continuing an illusion of visibility.
39 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, THE CIRCLE at Zürich Airport, 2020, Zürich, Switzerland.
THE CIRCLE at
Zürich Airport
2020
Zürich,
Switzerland
40 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, THE CIRCLE at Zürich Airport, 2020, Zürich, Switzerland.
Nagoya Zokei
University
2022
Nagoya, Japan
Photo courtesy of Shigeru Ohno
Located in Aichi Prefecture, a neighborhood consisting of government offices and dated municipal
housing, Nagoya Zokei University is conceived with sensitivity to the preexisting. Spaces and
programming are designed for students and the community alike. The upper floor features the
sizable “Studio,” a transparent nonprescriptive creative space, while the arena, library, gallery, hall
and cafeteria are below. The exterior lattice wall, of precast concrete and steel plates, filters ambient
light into the building by day and serves as a lantern to the city by night.
41 The Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024 Riken Yamamoto, Nagoya Zokei University, 2022, Nagoya, Japan.
Nagoya Zokei
University
2022
Nagoya, Japan
Nagoya Zokei
University
2022
Nagoya, Japan

2024 Pritzker Prize Image Book

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

2024 Pritzker Prize Image Book

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

2024 Pritzker Prize Image Book

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

2024 Laureate

Sponsored by The Hyatt Foundation

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Shinkenchiku Sha

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Ryuuji Miyamoto

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Shigeru Ohno

Photo courtesy of Shinkenchiku Sha

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Mitsumasa Fujitsuka

Photo courtesy of Mitsumasa Fujitsuka

Photo courtesy of Shinkenchiku Sha

Photo courtesy of Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Isao Aihara

Photo courtesy of Mitsumasa Fujitsuka

Photo courtesy of Mitsumasa Fujitsuka

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop

Photo courtesy of Shinkenchiku Sha

Photo courtesy of Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop

Photo courtesy of Mitsumasa Fujitsuka

Photo courtesy of Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi

Photo courtesy of Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop

Photo courtesy of Sergio Pirrone

Photo courtesy of Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop

Photo courtesy of Nam Goongsun

Photo courtesy of Kouichi Satake

Photo courtesy of Nam Goongsun

Photo courtesy of GA Photographers

Photo courtesy of Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop

Photo courtesy of Nacasa & Partners

Photo courtesy of Nacasa & Partners

Photo courtesy of Nacasa & Partners

Photo courtesy of Mitsumasa Fujitsuka

Photo courtesy of Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop

Photo courtesy of Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop

Photo courtesy of Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop

Photo courtesy of Flughafen Zürich AG

Photo courtesy of Flughafen Zürich AG

Photo courtesy of Flughafen Zürich AG