SANAA founders Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa were awarded Le Prix Charlotte Perriand 2025

Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa were born in Japan in 1956 and 1966, respectively. Sejima earned a master’s degree in architecture from Japan Women’s University in 1981, after which she began working with Toyo Ito and established her own firm. Nishizawa joined her practice while studying at Yokohama National University, which led to the establishment of their acclaimed architecture studio, SANAA, in Tokyo in 1995.

SANAA has gained international recognition for projects such as the New Museum in New York and the Louvre-Lens Museum in France. More recent projects include the Sydney Modern Museum in Australia, the New Urban Campus for Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, and the expansion of the famous La Samaritaine shopping mall in Paris. The duo’s innovative designs have earned them numerous accolades, including the Architectural Institute of Japan Award and the Praemium Imperiale Award for Architecture. Last year, Sejima received the Jane Drew Prize for her influence in promoting women in architecture.