Arata Isozaki awarded 2019 Pritzker Prize

Japanese architect Arata Isozaki awarded 2019 Pritzker Prize. He designed Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona built for the 1992 Summer Olympic, to sit low to the ground against the Montjuïc hillside.

The sloping profile domed roof, with reminiscent of Buddhist temples, emerges through the large architectural railing produced by Escofet. A warped handrail that converses with the curves of the roof, picket-like walls with circular gaps that fundamentally defy the exterior aesthetics of the Palau. The material is molded cast stone containing encrusted red Pyrenees limestone aggregate. Sandblast treatment highlights the natural tone of the aggregate that changes with the light and the sun's position.