Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award

Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award
Awarded for	Exemplifying a progressive and creative use of wood in architecture
Sponsored by	Wood in Culture Association (Puu kulttuurissa ry)
Reward	€40,000
First award	2000; 25 years ago (2000)

The Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award was an international architecture award, awarded every two years from 2000 until 2012, when it was discontinued.

History and description

The award was founded by the Wood in Culture Association (Puu kulttuurissa ry), a Finnish association sponsored by the Finnish wood industry, in 2000.^[1]

The award was given to a person or group of persons whose work exemplifies a progressive and creative use of wood. The prize money was €40,000. The award was made at a ceremony held at the Sibelius Hall in the city of Lahti. The award was given a total of seven times, before it was discontinued in 2012. A few of the award winners afterwards received commissions to design a small structure in Lahti.^[2]

Recipients of the Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award

Year	Recipient	Country	Ref
2000	Renzo Piano	Italy	[3][1]
2002	Kengo Kuma	Japan	[3]
2004	Richard Leplastrier	Australia	[3]
2006	Peter Zumthor	Switzerland
2008	José Cruz Ovalle	Chile
2010	Hermann Kaufmann	Austria
2012	Bijoy Jain	India

Structures in Lahti designed by Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award recipients

• 
  Kengo Kuma, bus shelter
• 
  Richard Leplastrier wooden structure

See also

• List of architecture awards

References

1. "News releases". spiritofnature.net. October 28, 2001. Archived from the original on January 6, 2002. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
2. Gert Wingårdh, Spirit of Nature: "Nobel Prize for Wooden Architecture”, 12. Internationales Holzbau-Forum 2006.
3. "International award for Leplastrier". The Sydney Morning Herald. June 2, 2004. Archived from the original on December 27, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2025.