 inline|right|thumb|nemo science centre in amsterdam. the shape reflects the tunnel entrance it is built on (1997) inline|right|thumb|the living roof of the california academy of sciences, a museum and research facility in san francisco, united states (2008) inline|right|thumb|kansai international airport, osaka, japan (1991â1994) inline|right|thumb|shard london bridge, london, uk (2012)  renzo piano, cavaliere di gran croce omri (; born 14 september 1937) is an italian pritzker prize-winning architect. architecture critic nicolai ouroussoff said of piano's works that the "...serenity of his best buildings can almost make you believe that we live in a civilized world." in 2006, piano was selected by time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. he was selected as the 10th most influential person in the "arts and entertainment" category of the 2006 time 100. in august 2013 he was appointed senator for life in the italian senate by president giorgio napolitano. ==biography== piano was born in genoa, italy, in 1937, into a family of builders. he was educated and subsequently taught at the politecnico di milano. he graduated from the university in 1964 with a dissertation about modular coordination (coordinazione modulare) supervised by giuseppe ciribini{{cite book | url = http://books.google.it/books?id=br9paqaaqbaj&pg=pa15&lpg=pa15&dq=renzo+piano+ciribini&source=bl&ots=oa1iouplzp&sig=ricjyeclyi7v7us-adowix6rs28&hl=it&sa=x&ei=tmyhu9lehqu_ygpbp4dwcg&ved=0cfoq6aewcg#v=snippet&
1937_births 20th-century_architects Erasmus_Prize_winners Italian_Life_Senators Italian_architects Living_people Members_of_the_European_Academy_of_Sciences_and_Arts People_from_Genoa Polytechnic_University_of_Milan_alumni Polytechnic_University_of_Milan_faculty Pritzker_Architecture_Prize_winners Recipients_of_the_Praemium_Imperiale Recipients_of_the_Royal_Gold_Medal Renzo_Piano_buildings