SANAA – Sejima & Nishizawa

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awards: 2004 Golden Lion, 2010 Pritzker Prize, Golden Lion, Pritzker Prize

SANAA (Sejima + Nishizawa and Associates) is an Architectural firm that is based in Tokyo. It was founded by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa in 1995. Kazuyo Sejima & Ryue Nishizawa Kazuyo Sejima (b. 1956, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan) studied architecture at the Japan Women’s University before joining the practice of architect Toyo Ito. She launched her own practice in 1987 and was named the Japan Institute of Architects’ Young Architect of the Year in Japan in 1992. Ryue Nishizawa (b. 1966, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) studied architecture at Yokohama National University and, in addition to his work with Sejima, has also maintained an independent practice since 1997. He holds professorships at prestigious institutions such as Yokohama National University and the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. Sejima and Nishizawa were jointly awarded the Golden Lion at the 9th Venice Architecture Biennale in 2004. Sejima teaches as a Visiting Professor both at Tama Art University and Keio University in Tokyo and, with Ryue Nishizawa, holds the Jean Labatut Professorship at the School of Architecture at Princeton University, New Jersey, USA. In 2010, Kazyto Semima was the director of the 12th International Architecture Biennale. She was the first woman to direct the Architecture Sector of the Biennale.

SANAA Interview: Rolex Learning Centre Interview with SANAA

2012 NEWS - Kazyto Semima becomes the first Architecture mentor for the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Initiative The ten-year-old program pairs master artists in the fields of dance, film, literature, music and the arts - and now architecture - with an emerging talent for a year of creative collaboration. In the fall, Sejima will select her protégé, who will join her in Japan at various points over the course of a year to collaborate on 'Home For All'. The project was created by Sejima and other leading Japanese architects, including Toyo Ito, Riken Yamamoto, Hiroshi Naito and Kengo Kuma, to respond to the housing crisis following the devastation caused by the 2011 tsunami in Japan.