Daniel Libeskind is one of the greatest architects of the modern era.Prior to his involvement in the design of New York`s Freedom Tower, hewas best known for designing the Jewish Museum in Berlin.

It opened in 2001 to widespread acclaim, and is a perfect exampleof how architecture can connect with the soul. The same year Libeskindwas awarded the prestigious Hiroshima Art Prize -- the first time ithad been awarded to an architect.

Other notable buildingsdesigned by Libeskind include the Imperial War Museum North inManchester {2002} and the Extension to the Royal Ontario Museum,Canada, which opened in 2007.

Libeskind, who was born in Poland in 1946, and became a U.S. citizen in 1965.

His early life was dominated by music -- he was a virtuoso pianist --and architecture only took center stage when he turned 16 years old,studying in New York then in Colchester, UK at the University of Essex.

He initially became a lecturer in architecture before swapping theoryfor practice with spectacular results. His buildings are some of themost recognizable and radical designs of the early 21st century.

edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/04/01/daniel.libeskind/index.html