Born in Japan in 1941, Ito graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1965. Between 1965 and 1969 he worked at Kiyonori Kikutake Architect and Associates. In 1971 he opened his own professional studio, called Urban Robot (URBOT) in Tokyo, a name that will change in 1979 in Toyo Ito & Associati. At the age of 71, Toyo Ito won the Pritzker Prize, the Nobel of architecture awarded by the Hyatt Foundation. In this edition the award was given to Japan. Toyo Ito, master of numerous other already very influential oriental architects, began his career with small buildings, houses and pavilions, but then built numerous landmarks in Japan and beyond.Toyo Ito has tried to blend the organic, natural approach with technological research. His goal is to make his projects, once built, they are contextualised and integrate well thanks to intangible and mobile elements. "Every time I finish a building - explained Toyo Ito - I feel painfully aware of my inadequacy, a feeling that I try to convert into energy to invest in the next project". In this sense "I will never be able to give full meaning to my architectural style, nor be fully satisfied with my works