Superstar Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron have long been the go-to duo for up-to-the-minute cultural buildings. Ten years ago they began their development of Tate Modern, and this year approval was granted for their plans for a new extension to the museum. Other recent forays in this area have included the Walker Art Center’s expansion, and the new Elbe Philharmonic concert hall in Hamburg, begun this year. They’ve also turned their heads to the world of sport, designing (with artist Ai Weiwei) the bird’s nest stadium for the 2008 Olympics, and were invited this year to design a new stadium for Portsmouth Football Club (Jacques Herzog is a notorious footie-fan). 2007 has seen the pair garner a number of prestigious accolades, the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture, made on behalf of the Queen by the Royal Institute of British Architects, and the Japan Art Association’s Praemium Imperiale award for architecture.