Frei Otto Wins Praemium Imperiale

September 27, 2006 German architect and engineer Frei Otto has won the 18th annual Praemium Imperiale prize for architecture. Sponsored by the Japan Art Association, the interdisciplinary awards program recognizes lifetime achievement in the arts. This year’s winners also include ballerina Maya Plisetskaya of Russia in the category of theater and film; Yayoi Kusama of Japan for painting; Christian Boltanski of France for sculpture; and American composer Steve Reich for music. The award ceremony is slated for October 18 in Tokyo. jennifer brite