2014 Pritzker Architecture Prize: Shigeru BanContemporary Living Room, New York

This upward-pivoting 20-foot-tall sectional door opens this entire penthouse apartment to the city and offers proof that, when carefully designed, the overhead door can work in almost any climate, even one as extreme as New York’s. The pivoting panels create a folded, glazed roof for the outdoor area.

An inside layer of glass folds up to open the residence to the city. Reminiscent of the Curtain Wall House, the project finds its expression in the New York City vernacular of metal shutters and retractable garage doors, elevated to a fine level of detail appropriate to multimillion-dollar apartments. Compare this photo to the shipping containers he designed for Onagawa, and we can see that Ban does treat these two poles of his work similarly. The materials, scale and details vary, but each one is appropriate to its circumstances and overtly aware of the people who will live there. This is humanitarian architecture par excellence.Meet more Pritzker winners

Overhead, pivot glass door. creates a roof when open and folded.

I like how the dimensions and lines draw a persons eye outside. The door is also pretty great, but I'm not sure how practical it is.

Garage Door for outside flex room