Renowned British architect Lord Norman Foster is one of the five 2002 recipients of the prestigious Praemium Imperiale, an annual arts award bestowed by the Japan Art Association.

In announcing the award, the jury wrote of Foster: "His architecture is universally admired for its conceptual and structural brilliance and 'high-tech' beauty - a special union of technology and aesthetics that has been polished and perfected over a lifetime. His works combine advanced technology, an ingenious geometry, attention to detail, and sensitivity to ecological considerations. Although uncompromisingly modern in character, (his recent commissions) demonstrate a great respect for the past."

The jury cited three projects in particular - the Sackler Galleries at the Royal Academy of Arts and the Great Court of the British Museum, both in London, and the Reichstag, the updated German Parliament in Berlin.

The Praemium Imperiale was established in 1989 to contribute to world peace and cultural progress and to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Japan Art Association. Since then it has honoured one architect each year. The other four 2002 recipients are Polish painter Sigmar Polke, Italian sculptor Giuliano Vangi, German singer Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, and French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard. Every year, artists in all five disciplines are recognised for their achievements, for the impact they have had internationally on the arts, and for their role in enriching the global community.

Foster and Partners use MicroStation and MicroStation TriForma as their architectural design software. Rather than using design software just as an electronic drawing board for creating working drawings and drawing annotation, the practice has its own specialist modelling group (SMG) for analysing and creating 2D and 3D parametric templates to assist the main architectural team in the design process and beyond.

While Lord Foster's designs appear as though they would cost an exorbitant amount of money - featuring many unique components like the glass panels - through the innovative use of MicroStation, these jobs can be carried off for a modest fee. The software is at the heart of calculating the buildability, producing the final glazing and steel dimensions, parts list and even manufacturing data, enabling Foster and Partners to retain control of the job.

"Following on local company Solutions Technology's State President's Award, this international award for another of our users makes me burst with pride," says Tex van Deventer, managing director of Bentley Systems South Africa. "My biggest hope is that the superior work will challenge our many users to exploit the full potential of MicroStation."

For more information contact Bentley Systems South Africa, 011 462 5811, www.bentley.com