Arata Isozaki, a prolific Japanese architect and the designer of the Team Disney building in Orlando, has passed away at the age of 91, according to the New York Times.
- Isozaki was an award-winning architect, urban planner and theorist.
- He died on Wednesday at his home in Okinawa, as confirmed by his longtime companion, Misa Shin, in a statement.
- According to the New York Times, Isozaki was “both an agent and messenger of change” and his buildings were “unique and escaped signature.”
- Isozaki held a four-decade-long international career, during which he worked in many styles and many countries.
- To Disney fans though, his most familiar work is undoubtedly the Team Disney Building at Walt Disney World resort.
Photo courtesy of The Disney Blog
- In addition to Shin, Isozaki is survived by two sons, Kan and Chu, from an earlier marriage.
What they’re saying:
- United States Supreme Court justice Stephen Breyer: “Isozaki is a pioneer in understanding that the need for architecture is both global and local — that those two forces are part of a single challenge.”