RIBA announces 2018 International Fellows + Honorary Fellows

Jeanne Gang, Willem Jan Neutelings + Michiel Riedijk, and John Lin of Rural Urban Framework are among the 10 non-UK architects named as the RIBA 2018 International Fellows. RIBA also unveiled 14 individuals as 2018 Honorary Fellows, which include the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Tate Modern Director Maria Balshaw, and London Festival of Architecture Director Tamsie Thomson.

Earning a RIBA International Fellowship is a lifetime honor and has the bonus of letting recipients use the initials Int FRIBA after their name. A RIBA Honorary Fellowship recognizes individuals (Hon FRIBA) — whether they work in journalism, art, local government, architectural history, and design — who have made particular contributions to the field of architecture.

2018 International Fellows:

Farrokh Derakhshani - AGA KHAN Award for Architecture, Switzerland/Iran: Derakhshani is the Director of the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture. He has been involved with the Award and the Aga Khan Development Network since 1982. He specializes in contemporary architecture of Muslim societies. His work includes the design and construction management of large-scale public works and infrastructure projects in Iran as well as architectural design in Paris and Geneva.

Jeanne Gang - Studio Gang, USA: “Studio Gang founder and MacArthur Fellow Jeanne Gang is recognized for a research-based design process that foregrounds the relationships between individuals, communities, and environments. Drawing insight from ecological systems, her analytical and creative approach has produced award-winning projects across scales and typologies.”

Antonio Gonzalez-Capitel - Antonio Capitel, Spain: “A major figure in Spanish architecture, Capitel is recognized for his influential teaching and contribution to architectural history, theory and critique, and for his high-quality architectural and urban design work.”

Andreas Heller – Studio Andreas Heller Architects & Designers, Germany: “With a background in theatre and film, Hamburg-based architect Andreas Heller founded his studio in 1989 and has established a strong international reputation for design in the arts and cultural sectors, including winning the 2016 iF Gold Prize for the European Hansemuseum in Lubeck.”

Sebastian Irarrazaval – Sebastian Irarrazaval Arquitectos, Chile: “Based in Santiago, Irarrazaval received a British Council scholarship in the early 1990s to study urbanism at the AA in London. He has taught in Chile and the USA since 1994 at various Institutions, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Universidad Central de Caracus. His own work has been exhibited at Harvard University, Barcelona and at the Venice Biennale.”

John Lin – Rural Urban Framework, Taiwan/China: “Based in Hong Kong, Taiwanese architect John Lin also teaches and was the 2010 recipient of the Outstanding Teaching Award from the Chinese University. Lin founded Rural Urban Framework, a non-profit research and design collaborative, with his colleague Joshua Bolchover in 2005. Together they have received numerous Awards like the 2012 WA Chinese Architecture Award and last year, the RIBA’s Emerging Architect Award as part of its International Prize.”

Willem Jan Neutelings and Michiel Riedijk - Neutelings Riedijk Architects, Netherlands: “Rotterdam-based Neutelings Riedjk Architects have established an enviable reputation for public buildings since forming their partnership in 1992. Neutelings became a Guest Professor at Harvard in 1999 and amongst other titles Riedijk has been Professor of Architecture at the Technical University of Delft since 2007. Known for the sculptural form of their work...their most celebrated buildings include the Musem aan de Stroom (2010) in Antwerp and the Shipping and Transport College in Rotterdam (2005).”

Shane O'Toole - Architectural Critic, Ireland: “Shane O’Toole is a Dublin born architect and writer. As President of the Architectural Association of Ireland, in 1983 he co-edited his first two books – monographs on the Irish-American architect Kevin Roche, and also – in an edition co-published by Gandon Editions and Architectural Design in London – on Aldo Rossi. He co-founded Group 91 Architects, an urban design collective of eight small architectural practices, when it was announced that Dublin would be the European City of Culture in 1991. In the late 1990s, Shane abandoned architectural practice for criticism.”

José Maria Sanchez Garcia - José Maria Sanchez Garcia, Spain: “José María Sánchez García graduated in 2002 at the Polytechnic University of Madrid where he is now an associate professor in architecture. In 2006 he established his own studio in Madrid, developing international architecture competitions. He has received numerous awards including First Prize of the BSI Swiss Architectural Award 2014 and was shortlisted for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture, Mies van der Rohe Award 2013, among other accolades.”

The 2018 RIBA Honorary Fellowships will be awarded to:

• Maria Balshaw – Director of Tate Modern
• Pablo Bronstein  –  Artist
• Dinah Casson  – Designer
• Evan Davis  – BBC Presenter
• Ian Firth  – Structural and Civil Engineer
• Hattie Hartman – Journalist
• Catherine Ince - Senior Curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum
• Wasfi Kani  - Grange Park Opera’s founder and chief executive
• Dr Tia Kansara - Economist, consultant
• Sadiq Khan – Mayor of London
• Ruth Lande Shuman -  Industrial Designer
• Robert Powell  - Former Creative Director of BEAM, Author and Poet
• Tom Stuart-Smith - Landscape Design
• Tamsie Thomson -  Director of the London Festival of Architecture

The RIBA Fellowships will be presented at a special event at RIBA London headquarters in early 2018.

Photo credits cover pic: AKAA, Sally Ryan, Isadora Tast, Alex Sapienza, Hisao Suzuki, Camilla Holmgren.