Rogers wins 2007 Pritzker Prize

LONDON, March 28 (UPI) -- Dentistry's loss was architecture's gain: Britain's Richard Rogers' opting to design buildings and not fight tooth decay earned him the 2007 Pritzker Prize.

Rogers, 73, will be given a $100,000 grant and a bronze medallion when presented his profession's top honor June 4 in London, The New York Times said Wednesday.

The Pritzker jury, which will formally announce its selection Thursday, lauded Rogers for his "unique interpretation of the Modern Movement's fascination with the building as machine" among other things.

Rogers perhaps is best-known for his work on the Pompidou Center in Paris 30 years ago.

Rogers said he would like to be recognized for designing buildings that are "full of light" and be known for "celebrating the components and the structure."

Other projects include the Millennium Dome in Greenwich, England, and the law courts in Bordeaux, France. His most recent undertaking was the $2.2 billion terminal at Barajas International Airport in Madrid in 2005.

Rogers was born in Italy and moved to England as a child. Just as he was completing secondary school -- and seriously considering a career in dentistry -- he was introduced to modern architecture at the Festival of Britain.