To honor a distinguished career that spans more than five decades, the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles has presented HOK Founding Partner Gyo Obata, FAIA, with a 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award in the Arts. Obata was one of five people accepting awards last month in Los Angeles. The Japanese American National Museum is the only U.S. museum dedicated to promoting appreciation for America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by preserving and sharing the Japanese American experience. Its 2004 awards recognize people who have exemplified excellence and innovation in the areas of the arts, education, and international relations, as well as a Nisei Legacy award.

Born in San Francisco to distinguished Japanese-born artists, Obata studied under Eliel Saarinen and later worked with Minoru Yamasaki. He joined with George Hellmuth, FAIA, and George Kassabaum, FAIA, in 1955 to create Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum. In addition to many accolades from the AIA, his work has garnered awards from the U.S. General Services Administration, Institute of Business Designers, and Federal Design Council. Among his masterworks are:

• Priory Chapel, St. Louis, 1962
• The Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum. Washington, D.C., 1967
• The Galleria, Houston, 1970
• King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1977
• George R. Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco, 1981
• Levi’s Plaza, San Francisco, 1982
• King Khaled International Airport, Riyadh, 1983
• Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Independence, Mo., 1993
• Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, 1999
• Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse, St. Louis, 2000.

The Japanese American National Museum also has firsthand reason for honoring Obata: He designed the Museum’s Phase II Pavilion in Los Angeles in 1997.

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