Renowned for his architecture the world over, Álvaro Siza is an architect’s architect, whose work also includes lighting and industrial design pieces.

Siza was born in Matosinhos, Portugal in 1933. His first projects were built in his home country, where he earned a reputation for their elegant and respectful integration of landscape and architecture—the Marés swimming pools at Leça de Palmeira, and the Da Boa Nova restaurant, for example. Siza’s architecture is honest, simple, and efficient, provoking a sense of withdrawal and inner contemplation. He’s won numerous architecture prizes including the Mies Van der Rohe Award in 1988 and the Pritzker Prize in 1992.