Judges praised Mr Zumthor for bringing the “wow” factor into his architecture, which has included the Swiss pavilion at the Hannover Expo in 2000 and the chapel of Saint Bruder in Sumvitg.
“He re-invents the building in all his works, but without aiming merely at something new or astonishment,” said judges’ chairman Mikko Heikkinen.
The Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award is a biennial prize awarded by the Finnish Wood in Culture Association. Previous recipients include Renzo Piano, Kengo Kuma and Richard Leplastrier.
