The purpose of the Pritzker Architecture Prize is to honor annually a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture. 

One Laureate has been selected each year since 1979 with the exception of 1988 and 2001 when two were named in each of those years.  The former was in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the prize when both the late Gordon Bunshaft of the United States and Oscar Niemeyer of Brazil were elected.  In 2001, both partners of a Swiss firm, Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron were chosen.

Philip Johnson was the first Laureate in 1979. The late Luis Barragan of Mexico was named in 1980. 

Two laureates have been chosen from the United Kingdom: the first was the late James Stirling in 1981, and the second was Sir Norman Foster (now Lord Foster) in 1999. 

The next three years saw the election of three architects from the U.S. Kevin Roche in 1982, Ieoh Ming Pei in 1983, and Richard Meier in 1984. Hans Hollein of Austria was the 1985 Laureate. Gottfried Boehm of Germany received it in 1986. Kenzo Tange was the first Japanese architect to receive the prize in 1987; Fumihiko Maki was the second from Japan in 1993, and Tadao Ando was the third Japanese Laureate in 1995.  Frank Gehry of the US was elected in 1989.  Aldo Rossi in 1990  and Renzo Piano in 1998 are the two Italian Laureates.  Robert Venturi received the honor in 1991, and Alvaro Siza of Portugal in 1992 . 

In 1994, Christian de Portzamparc was elected Pritzker Laureate, the first French architect to be so honored. Rafael Moneo of Spain was named the 1996 Laureate, and Norway's Sverre Fehn was selected in 1997. 

Europe continued to dominate the prize in 2000 when Rem Koolhaas of The Netherlands was honored. 

In 2002, Glenn Murcutt of Australia was made Pritzker Laureate.  And this year, Australia again plays a role because its famed Sydney Opera House was designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the 2003 honoree.

The field of architecture was chosen by the Pritzker family because of their keen interest in building due to their involvement with developing the Hyatt Hotels around the world. Architecture was also a creative endeavor not included in the Nobel Prizes. The procedures were modeled after the Nobels, with the final selection being made by the international jury with all deliberations and voting in secret. Nominations are continuous from year to year with over 500 nominees from more than forty countries being considered each year.