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Frei Otto was just named the 2015 Pritzker Prize laureate in an announcement made one day after the German architect’s death. Otto is perhaps best known for the stunning canopies he designed for the 1972 Munich Olympics, along with many other extraordinary, lightweight structures that were heavily inspired by nature. Over the course of his career, Otto collaborated with a number of architects including 2014 laureate Shigeru Ban. Upon being informed of the committee’s selection, the New York Times reports that Otto told officials “I’ve never done anything to gain this prize. Prize-winning is not the goal of my life. I try to help poor people, but what shall I say here, I’m very happy.”

+ Pritzker Prize

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