Sanaa

Two people design big buildings.

They started a group in Japan. They call it SANAA.

They win many awards for their work. They won the Pritzker Prize in 2010. This is a very big honor.

They make many kinds of places. They build museums for art. They also build schools.

Some of their buildings are in New York. Others are in France. They even have a shop in Tokyo.

Their work helps everyone. They make buildings easy to use. It is fun to see their art.

Two architects started a group in Tokyo, Japan.

They call their group SANAA. Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa founded it in 1995. They design many different kinds of buildings. Some are museums for art. Others are schools or shops.

SANAA wins many big awards. In 2010, they won the Pritzker Prize. This is the highest honor for architects. Sejima was the second woman to win it. In 2004, they won the Golden Lion. This award was for their great work in Venice. In 2025, they won a Royal Gold Medal. This medal was for making buildings easy for everyone to use.

You can find their work all over the world. They built the New Museum in New York. They made the Glass Pavilion in Ohio.

They also made the Rolex Learning Center in Switzerland. In Taiwan, they made a large library.

Their work is special. They care about making spaces that include everyone.

SANAA is a famous group of architects based in Tokyo, Japan. Architects are people who design buildings. This group was started in 1995 by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa.

They create many different types of spaces for people to use. Some of their designs are for museums, schools, or shops. Their work is very important to the world of design. People value their buildings because they focus on being open to everyone.

Designing a building involves many careful steps. The team at SANAA works on projects that last for many years. Some projects take only a year or two to finish. Other projects, like the House for the CIPEA in Nanjing, China, have been ongoing since 2004.

They plan how a building will look and how people will move through it. They also think about how to make buildings easy to enter and use. This way of working is called being inclusive and accessible. This helps make sure all people feel welcome in their spaces.

The history of SANAA is full of great achievements. Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa have won several major prizes. In 2004, they won the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale. This was a big honor for their work in an art exhibition.

In 2010, they received the Pritzker Prize. This is the highest honor an architect can get. Sejima was only the second woman to win this special prize. In 2025, they also won the Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects.

You can find SANAA buildings in many different countries. In the United States, they designed the Glass Pavilion in Toledo, Ohio. They also worked on the New Museum in New York City.

In France, they created the Louvre-Lens Museum. Their work reaches far across the globe to places like Italy and Switzerland. For example, they designed the Rolex Learning Center in Lausanne, Switzerland. They even have projects in Taiwan, like the Taichung Green Museumbrary.

Many of their buildings look very unique and special. Some use lots of glass to let in light. The Grace Farms project in Connecticut is a good example. Their buildings often feel like they belong in the world around them. They use shapes and materials to create new experiences for visitors. Whether it is a small cafe or a huge museum, their style is easy to recognize. Their work shows how architecture can be both beautiful and useful for everyone.

SANAA is a world-renowned architectural firm located in Tokyo, Japan. The firm is the professional partnership of architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa. They established the company in 1995 to design various types of structures. Their work ranges from small private houses to massive public institutions. Architecture is the art and science of designing buildings and spaces. SANAA focuses on creating environments that feel open and welcoming to all people.

The process of architectural design involves complex planning and long-term commitment. SANAA manages projects that vary greatly in their duration and scale. Some of their early works, like the Multimedia Studio in Gifu, were completed quickly. Other projects require many years of careful development and coordination. For example, the House for the CIPEA in Nanjing, China, has been an ongoing project since 2004. Architects must decide how materials will interact with light and the surrounding environment. They also plan how people will move through a space once it is built.

SANAA's portfolio includes many distinct types of buildings. They design museums that house art, such as the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa. They also create educational spaces like the Rolex Learning Center at the EPFL in Lausanne. Retail architecture is another area of their expertise, seen in the Christian Dior Building in Tokyo. Some of their designs are even for temporary structures, like the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London. Each project type requires different technical solutions and spatial arrangements.

The history of the firm is marked by several prestigious international honors. In 2004, Sejima and Nishizawa won the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale. This award recognized their significant contribution to the Ninth International Architecture Exhibition. In 2010, they received the Pritzker Prize, which is the highest honor in the field of architecture. Kazuyo Sejima became only the second woman to ever win this prize. More recently, in 2025, they were awarded the Royal Gold Medal by the Royal Institute of British Architects.

The significance of their work is reflected in the global reach of their projects. They have designed buildings across many continents, including Europe, Asia, and North America. In the United States, notable works include the New Museum in New York City and the Glass Pavilion in Toledo, Ohio. Their influence extends to France with the Louvre-Lens Museum. In Switzerland, they designed the Novartis Office Building in Basel. The scale of their work is immense, covering everything from local cafes to large-scale urban campuses.

Many of SANAA's buildings are known for specific, striking features. The Glass Pavilion in Toledo uses transparent materials to create a sense of lightness. The Grace Farms interior in Connecticut features floor-to-ceiling windows that connect the inside to the outside. Their designs often emphasize inclusivity and accessibility. The Royal Gold Medal recognized them specifically for this long-term commitment to accessible design. These features allow visitors to experience the building and the landscape as one.

SANAA's work connects architecture to broader concepts of social interaction and art. Their designs have been featured in major international exhibitions, such as the City of Girls in the 2000 Venice Biennale. They have also participated in the Istanbul Biennale in Turkey. By creating spaces like the De Kunstlinie Theater & Cultural Center in the Netherlands, they support community culture. Their buildings serve as vessels for human activity, whether for learning, shopping, or viewing art. This connection ensures that their architecture remains a vital part of the cities they inhabit.