In 2001 Forsythe + MacAllen won first prize in a competition to design 200 units of housing and community facilities at the center of Aomori city, in northern Japan. The competition, judged by Tadao Ando and Jean Nouvel, attracted the attention of over 2000 competitors from 86 countries. Forsythe + MacAllen are currently working on the project for Aomori, which has since evolved into a Museum and Creative Culture Centre for Nebuta, one of Japan’s largest festivals.