The Gold Medal goes to the Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Honoring him this time is the American Institute of Architects (AIA) which every year rewards the best professionals.

His buildings, often defined as full of light, are also appreciated worldwide for their strong contemplative component, from the Church of the Light in Osaka (1988) to more recent American projects such as the Art Museum of St Louis.

The prize, this year in its 59th edition, has been given only a few times to professionals from outside the United States. Before Ando, who in 1995 also won the Pritzker Prize, was the Finnish Alvar Aalto and the Japanese Kenzo Tange.

See also: Profile Tadao Ando