An 87-year-old Japanese designer just won the 'Nobel Prize of architecture.' Here are some of his most stunning masterpieces.

Arata Isozaki

Japanese architect Arata Isozaki was awarded the 2019 Pritzker Architecture Prize, which is often referred to as the "Nobel Prize of architecture."
Isozaki's most famous works include the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and the inflatable Ark Nova concert hall in Japan.
Isozaki's buildings are known for bending genres and styles.

At age 87, Japanese architect Arata Isozaki has left an indelible imprint on the world's cities.

His recognizable designs include a 700-foot skyscraper in Milan, a contemporary art museum in Los Angeles, and an Olympic sports venue in Barcelona. The buildings span continents, genres, and time periods.

Now, that work has earned Isozaki the highest honor in his field: the 2019 Pritzker Architecture Prize.

Isozaki was awarded the prize on March 5 for buildings that, in the words of the jury, "are constantly evolving, and always fresh in their approach."

Take a look at some of the most remarkable structures from his decades-long career.

The Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art in Japan was one of Isozaki's first professional projects.

The museum, which sits atop a hill, opened to the public in 1974. The horizontal columns at the top of the structure have been likened to a pair of binoculars.

The architect's most famous work in the US is the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, which opened in 1983.

Isozaki told the New York Times that he "sensed" that Los Angeles wanted to build something that rivaled the Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) in New York City. While the MoMa's dark rooms depend on artificial light, LA's Museum of Contemporary Art features natural light from glass skylights.

The Art Tower Mito was designed to resemble a helix.

The tower opened in 1990 to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Japanese city of Mito. It's divided into three sections: a concert hall, theater, and contemporary art gallery.

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