This year's prestigious Pritzker Prize goes to Jean Nouvel, a French architect known for opulent, sensual designs that defy conventions. His works include the dramatic Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and the Agbar Tower in Barcelona, Spain.

A Pritzker Architecture Prize is like an Emmy, an Oscar, and a Nobel Prize all rolled into one. Each year a jury selects a living architect whose built work makes a significant contribution to humanity and the environment. Past winners include:

• Richard Rogers of the United Kingdom, 2007
• Paulo Mendez da Rocha of Brazil, 2006
• Thom Mayne of the United States, 2005
• Zaha Hadid of the United Kingdom, 2004
• Jørn Utzon of Denmark, 2003
• Glenn Murcutt of Australia, 2002

^{Photo: Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota by architect Jean Nouvel, 1999-2006. © Roland Halbe, courtesy Ateliers Jean Nouvel}