Kazuyo Sejima of SANAA Wins 2023 Jane Drew Prize for Women in Architecture

This year, the prestigious Jane Drew Prize for Architecture was awarded to celebrated architect Kazuyo Sejima. The prize is awarded annually by the Architects Journal magazine to a person who has shown innovation, diversity and inclusiveness in architecture.

Co-founder of renowned architecture studio SANAA, Sejima's works include the France-based ‘Louvre-Lens’, completed in 2012, as well as the ‘Sydney Modern', which opened at the end of last year and marked the company’s first Australian project.

Kazuyo Sejima has enjoyed an extensive and prominent reputation in architecture. She began her career working with Japan-based architect Toyo Ito, before going to found her own office, Kazuyo Sejima & Associates, in 1987.

“Beyond the formal, structural and material experimentation of her work, Sejima is one of too few female architects to have established themselves on the international stage. Her courage, tenacity and success are critical reminders that it is possible,” says Manon Mollard, Editor of The Architectural Review.

The Jane Drew Prize was established in January 1998 in London and is named after seminal English modernist architect Jane Drew. The prize seeks to showcase notable individuals whose work promotes innovation, diversity, and inclusiveness in architecture. It is highly regarded within the industry and was created to reward those who have created a positive impact on the development of the profession.

Kazuyo Sejima's work has made a presence across the world, and the Jane Drew Prize is a testament to her dedication to uplifting women and female designers in architecture.