Álvaro Siza, winner of the Mies van der Rohe Prize (1988), the Pritzker Prize (1992) and the Praemium Imperiale (1998), is clearly a figure to be reckoned with. Born in 1933 in Matosinhos, on the outskirts of Porto, he is the best-known living Portuguese architect. His very personal blend of Modernist influences and direct responses to projects has given him an international stature that extends far beyond the limited number of buildings he has designed outside Portugal.