Herzog and de Meuron win Praemium Imperiale prize

The partners of Swiss architectural practice Herzog & de Meuron – whose works include the National Stadium in Beijing and the Laban Centre for Movement & Dance in London — will receive £90,000 prize money for the prestigious Praemium Imperiale award.

The awards, now in their 19th year and run by the Japan Art Association, honour artists whose work has made a significant contribution to their particular field and who have made a real international impact.

Previous winners in the architecture category have included Frei Otto, Rem Koolhaas and Norman Foster.

Other winners of this year’s award are British based sculptor Tony Cragg, and Daniel Buren in the painting category.

Candidates for the Praemium Imperiale awards are nominated by a distinguished panel of international advisers including William H Luers, president of the United Nations Association, and by honorary advisers former French president Jacques Chirac and former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt.

The awards ceremony will take place in Tokyo on October 16th.