Each year the Pritzker Architecture Prize is awarded to an architect who has made important accomplishments. While the selections of the Pritzker Prize jury are sometimes controversial, there is no doubt that Pritzker Prize Laureates are among the most influential architects of modern times. These pages list all the Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureates, starting with the most recent and continuing back 1979 when the Prize was first established.

2011: Eduardo Souto de Moura, Portugal

Eduardo Souto de Moura, a 58 year old architect from Portugal, is the Pritzker Prize Pick for 2011. "His buildings have a unique ability to convey seemingly conflicting characteristics -- power and modesty, bravado and subtlety, bold public authority and a sense of intimacy --at the same time," says Pritzker Prize jury chairman, Lord Palumbo.

2010: Kazuyo Sejima, Japan

Prize shared with Ryue Nishizawa, Japan

Kazuyo Sejima's firm, Sejima and Nishizawa and Associates (SANAA), is praised for designing powerful, minimalist buildings using common, everyday materials.

2010: Ryue Nishizawa, Japan

Prize shared with Kazuyo Sejima, Japan

Japanese architect Ryue Nishizawa is best known for simple, minimalist buildings designed in collaboration with architect Kazuyo Sejima.

2009: Peter Zumthor, Switzerland

The son of a cabinet maker, Swiss architect Peter Zumthor is often praised for the detailed craftsmanship of his designs.

2008: Jean Nouvel, France

Taking cues from the environment, flamboyant French architect Jean Nouvel places an emphasis on light and shadow.

2007: Lord Richard Rogers, United Kingdom

British architect Richard Rogers is known for "transparent" high tech designs and a fascination for buildings as machines.

2006: Paulo Mendes da Rocha, Brazil

Brazilian architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha is known for bold simplicity and an innovative use of concrete and steel.

2005: Thom Mayne, United States

American architect Thom Mayne has won many awards for designing buildings that move beyond modernism and postmodernism.

2004: Zaha Hadid, Iraq / United Kingdom

From parking garages and ski-jumps to vast urban landscapes, Zaha Hadid's works have been called bold, unconventional, and theatrical. The Iraqi-born British architect was the first woman to win a Pritzker Prize.

2003: Jørn Utzon, Denmark

Born in Denmark, Jørn Utzon was perhaps destined to design buildings that evoke the sea. He was the architect for the famous and controversial Sydney Opera House in Australia.

2002: Glenn Murcutt, Australia

Glenn Murcutt is not a builder of skyscrapers or grand, showy buildings. Instead, the Australian architect is known for smaller projects that conserve energy and blend with the environment.

2001: Herzog & de Meuron, Switzerland

Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron are two important Swiss architects known for innovative construction using new materials and techniques. The two architects have nearly parallel careers.

National Stadium, Beijing, China

2000: Rem Koolhaas, The Netherlands

Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas has been called in turns Modernist and Deconstructivist, yet many critics claim that he leans toward Humanism. Koolhaas's work searches for a link between technology and humanity.

 China Central Television, Beijing, China

Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureates Ⅱ：Winners of the Pritzker Architecture Prize (1999~1989)