Kenzo Tange

Kenzo Tange was a Japanese architect who lived from 1913 to 2005 and became one of the most influential designers of the twentieth century. Born in Sakai, he achieved early recognition for postwar reconstruction projects, especially the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, and his work synthesized traditional Japanese styles with modernism, making him emblematic of Japan's postwar economic boom. Notable works include the Yoyogi National Gymnasium of 1964, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building of 1991, the Supreme Court of Pakistan building, and urban plans for Skopje and Tokyo Bay; he designed structures on five continents. Tange was a forerunner of the Metabolist movement and pioneered ambitious urban planning concepts, blending Japanese architectural tradition with modernist principles and brutalist concrete construction. He received the Pritzker Prize in 1987, the Royal Gold Medal in 1965, the AIA Gold Medal in 1966 and the Praemium Imperiale in 1993.