Venetian Golden Lion for Koolhaas and Shinoharu

The Golden Lion statuette (Il Leon d'Oro) is the highest award that has been given since 1949 at the Venice Film Festival. The same award was later adopted by the architectural biennale, which awards the Golden Lion for the best country pavilion and the main exhibition project, as well as the Silver Lion for promising young architects. To add to this, another Golden Lion is also awarded to one architect at each biennale for their lifetime achievements. The winner of this award is proposed by the chief curator of the architectural biennale. This year's curator Kazuyo Sejima justified her choice of Rem Koolhaas by stating: “He expanded the possibilities of architecture. He focused on the relationships between people and space. He created buildings that brought people together and established new ambitious goals for architecture. His influence on the world far exceeds the field of architecture.”
Additionally, the curator awarded a special “Memorial Golden Lion” to the Japanese architect Kazuo Shinohara, who passed away four years ago. “Shinohara was a person who directly engaged with the symbolism of space and how this element can influence. He was very engaged with the symbolism of Japanese architecture, but on the other hand, he also explored the abstract plane of spaces and cities. I propose that he be honored for the way he asserted himself in a very individual manner through the strength of his spaces.”
The Golden Lions will be presented along with other awards at the ceremonial opening of the Venice Biennale at the end of August.
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