As the Pritzker Prize marks its 40th anniversary with the upcoming 2018 edition, the award which has come to be known internationally as architecture’s highest honor welcomes two new members to its jury: architect and 2012 Laureate Wang Shu and André Aranha Corrêa do Lago. 

They will be replacing architect and educator Yung Ho Chang, and architecture curator, writer and editor Kristin Feireiss. The two served on the Pritzker Prize Jury for 7 and 6 years, respectively, and have recently stepped down. Jurors serve a minimum three-year term, which allows for both change and stability in the decision-making process

As a former winner of the prize, the Chinese architect's recent appointment comes as no surprise. Wang, whose work incorporates cultural tradition, craft skills, and spontaneous elements, said of the honor that “it is a great responsibility to serve on the jury. I also hope to share my knowledge of China and the Asian context with them.”

Mr. Corrêa do Lago, on the other hand, might be less of a familiar name among those in the field. The current Brazilian Ambassador to Japan is also a recognized architectural critic. He was the curator of the Brazilian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture in 2014 and has been a negotiator for sustainable development having written extensively on the issue since 2001.  

Tom Pritzker, Chairman of Hyatt Foundation, remarked on the news commenting, “as we approach the 40th anniversary of the Pritzker Prize, the addition of André Corrêa do Lago and Wang Shu continues to embody the international range reflected by both present and past Laureates and Jury. The contributions of both individuals to the field of architecture, from different vantage points, makes them ideal members of the jury.”