AGE: 64
OCCUPATION: Architect
PREVIOUS APPEARANCES ON THE TIME 100: 1
PRO: The Dutch-born visionary — his works include the Seattle Public Library and the CCTV headquarters in Beijing — is now working on a globular mixed-use site in Dubai and a striking 24-story residential building in Manhattan.
CON: For a famous architect, he hasn't had many of his buildings actually built, and the economy could put a halt to his more ambitious plans.