Royal Gold Medal
Encyclopedia
The Royal Gold Medal for architecture
is awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects
on behalf of the British monarch, in recognition of an individual's or group's substantial contribution to international architecture.
It was first awarded in 1848 to Charles Robert Cockerell
and its winners include many of the most well-known architects of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Sir Giles Gilbert Scott
(1925), Frank Lloyd Wright
(1941) and Le Corbusier
(1953). In 1992 the Irish structural engineer Peter Rice
became the second engineer to receive the award; the first was Ove Arup
in 1966. Another notable exception was the 1999 award to the city of Barcelona
.
The award is for a body of work, rather than for one building or for an architect who is currently fashionable.
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
is awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
on behalf of the British monarch, in recognition of an individual's or group's substantial contribution to international architecture.
It was first awarded in 1848 to Charles Robert Cockerell
Charles Robert Cockerell
Charles Robert Cockerell was an English architect, archaeologist, and writer.-Life:Charles Robert Cockerell was educated at Westminster School from 1802. From the age of sixteen, he trained in the architectural practice of his father, Samuel Pepys Cockerell...
and its winners include many of the most well-known architects of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Sir Giles Gilbert Scott
Giles Gilbert Scott
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, OM, FRIBA was an English architect known for his work on such buildings as Liverpool Cathedral and Battersea Power Station and designing the iconic red telephone box....
(1925), Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
(1941) and Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-born French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930...
(1953). In 1992 the Irish structural engineer Peter Rice
Peter Rice
Peter Rice was an Irish structural engineer.Born in 52 Brigid Street, Dundalk in County Louth, he spent his childhood between the town of Dundalk, and the villages of Gyles' Quay and Inniskeen. He was educated at the Queen's University of Belfast where he received his primary degree, and spent a...
became the second engineer to receive the award; the first was Ove Arup
Ove Arup
Sir Ove Nyquist Arup, CBE, MICE, MIStructE known as Ove Arup, was a leading Anglo-Danish engineer and generally considered to be one of the foremost architectural structural engineers of his time...
in 1966. Another notable exception was the 1999 award to the city of Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
.
The award is for a body of work, rather than for one building or for an architect who is currently fashionable.