Image credits: Fernando Guerra, Paju, South Korea, September 2008.

One could say that Álvaro Siza has won almost every architectural award known to man, including the Pritzker Prize in 1992, the Alvar Aalto Medal in 1998 and the Wolf Prize in Arts in 2001. Siza has now been awarded with the most distinguished British architecture prize: the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture by the Royal Institute of British Architects.
Interestingly enough, the most renowned Portuguese architect has never built a permanent structure in the UK aside from the Serpentine Gallery’s 2005 Summer Pavilion in London, which was designed in collaboration with Eduardo Souto de Moura and Cecil Balmond. Álvaro Siza’s most celebrated creations include the famous Swimming Pools at Leça da Palmeira, the Boa Nova Tea House and the Santa Maria Church at Marco de Canavezes. Currently at the age of 75, Siza remains incredibly active. Among his latest projects you can find works such as the Adega Mayor (Mayor Winery), the Anyang Pavilion and the Ribera Serralo Sports Complex (Swimming Pools) in Barcelona.
You can visit the web-based library Últimas SIZA for an extensive set of projects, courtesy of Fernando Guerra.


Image credits: Fernando Guerra, Paju, South Korea, September 2008.

External references: Guardian: New wave hero Portuguese architect wins UK's most prestigious prize, Guardian: A Gold Medal for Siza? About time, The Architect’s Journal: Álvaro Siza scoops RIBA Royal Gold Medal.