Kazuyo Sejima, SANAA

Kazuyo Sejima, co-founder of SANAA, will deliver the John Foerster ‘64 Fund Lecture. The lecture is followed by a conversation with Dean Andrés Jaque.

Please note that at the speaker’s request, this lecture will not be live-streamed. Seating is limited and first-come, first-served. Priority access is given to Columbia University students and affiliates.

Born in Ibaraki Japan, Kazuyo Sejima received a degree in architecture from the Japan Women’s University in 1981. In 1987 she opened her own studio in Tokyo and then in 1995, together with Ryue Nishizawa, she founded SANAA. Her own works include House in Plum Grove, Inujima Art House project, and Japan Women’s University Mejiro Campus. SANAA’s main works include the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, the Rolex Learning Center, Louvre-Lens, Grace Farms, Bocconi University New Urban Campus, La Samaritaine, and Sydney Modern Project. In 2010 Kazuyo Sejima was appointed director of the 12th International Architecture Exhibition of Venice Biennale. Her honors include the Japan Architecture Award, Venice Biennale Golden Lion Award, Rolf Schock Prize in Category of Visual Arts, Pritzker Architecture Prize, Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Letters, Prix de l'Équerre d'Argent, the Medal with Purple Ribbon, Thomas Jefferson Medal in Architecture, and Praemium Imperiale. She is currently a professor at the Polytechnic University of Milan, and teaching at Japan Women’s University and Osaka University of Arts as a visiting professor.


Portrait of Kazuyo Sejima by Aiko Suzuki.

Organized by Columbia GSAPP. Please note that GSAPP events are open to the public but seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. The School gives priority access to GSAPP students and faculty, and due to high demand we cannot guarantee space for members of the general public.

GSAPP is committed to providing universal access to all of our events. Please contact events@arch.columbia.edu to request disability accommodations. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.

This event content is equivalent to 1 AIA/CES total learning credit, 1 total credit earned for in-person attendance. Please contact events@arch.columbia.edu for more information.