Over the weekend, the Swiss arhictect Peter Zumthor (whose most recently completed building, the Bruder Klaus Chapel in the South of Germany, appears at right) was awarded the Pritzker Prize (the Heisman of architecture awards), breaking the streak of especially spectacular architects who’d won the prize recently. With his decidedly Modernist forms, penchant for minimalism and unadorned materials, surprising contrasts between exterior and interior, Zumthor’s stark, simple lines give his buildings an enduring, almost timeless appeal.

Little known outside Europe, Zumthor has kept a low profile over 30 years of professional work. Now poised to make the international leap and armed with the ultimate architectural green card, there’s no better time to get to know him than right now with these 8 Peter Zumthor Building Designs.

St. Benedict Chapel, Switzerland, 1989

Elderly Home, Masans, Switzerland, 1993

Gugalun House, Switzerland, 1994

Thermal Baths, Vals, Switzerland, 1996

Bregenz Art Museum, Austria, 1997

Kolumba Museum, Cologne, 2000

The Swiss Pavilion at Hanover’s Expo 2000

Bruder Klaus Chapel, Germany, 2007