“You can either cause problems for others or bring joy to them. It depends on the architect.” Pritzker Prize winner Riken Yamamoto shares his advice to aspiring architects.
”There’s always an opportunity to realise something new. The key is whether you’re able to recognise this opportunity. Will you pass it by or will you notice it?” In his advice, Riken Yamamoto emphasises the importance of opportunities and that one should know that they come more often than we think.
Riken Yamamoto also points out that while there are many possibilities for architects, it’s still important not to get lost in them. It’s essential to have “a sense of belonging to a community and being mindful not to harm its members.” For Yamamoto, this doesn’t only apply to architects but to creators in general. Keeping the community in mind is key for any creator or architect: “There’s also a way to make the neighbours happy.”
Riken Yamamoto was born in 1945 in Beijing, China, and raised in Yokohama, Japan. He studied architecture at Nihon University and later earned a master’s degree at Tokyo University of the Arts. He is the founder of Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop. In 2024, he was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the most prestigious honor in the field, in recognition of his work advancing architecture as a civic and social force. His notable projects include the Yokosuka Museum of Art, Pangyo Housing, and Fire Station No. 4 in Hiroshima.
Jens H. Jensen interviewed Riken Yamamoto in Kanagawa, Japan, in April 2024.
Camera: Yudai Yamamoto
Edit: Roxanne Bageshirin Lærkesen
Produced by Christian Lund
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2025
Louisiana Channel is supported by Den A.P. Møllerske Støttefond and Ny Carlsbergfonden. This video is supported by Dreyersfonden.
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