Elizabeth Diller wins 2019 Jane Drew Prize, Hélène Binet wins Ada Louise Huxtable Prize + Women in Architecture shortlists announced

Today, the Architects' Journal and Architectural Review announced two influential women in the architecture industry as winning recipients in their 2019 Women in Architecture Awards program. Architect Elizabeth Diller was honored with the Jane Drew Prize, while renowned architectural photographer Hélène Binet won the Ada Louise Huxtable Prize.

The Jane Drew Prize is a lifetime achievement that recognizes an architect who, through their work, helped raise the profile of women in architecture. The Ada Louise Huxtable Prize recognizes individuals working in the wider architectural industry who have made a significant contribution to the field and the built environment.

“Liz Diller is an international architectural powerhouse and a hugely deserving winner of this year’s Jane Drew Prize. From her wide range of work [...] Diller’s brave, refreshing, innovative and often cross-disciplinary approach is an inspiration to the architectural profession,” said Emily Booth, editor of the Architects’ Journal.

“Hélène Binet’s photography has influenced and shaped how we understand architecture for 25 years,” Booth commented on Binet. “Her keen eye, sensitivity to form and ability to capture the spirit and materiality of a building has contributed so much to the culture of architecture.”

On top of that, the shortlists for the Architect of the Year and Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture were also announced. The Architect of the Year award distinguishes a single recently completed project, while the £10,000 Moira Gemmill Prize recognizes women designers under the age of 45 who have an outstanding portfolio of achievements and completed projects.

2019 Architect of the Year shortlist:

Carme Pigem, co-founder of RCR Arquitectes, for De Krook Library in Ghent, Belgium, by RCR Arquitectes and Coussée & Goris Architecten 

Ellen van Loon, partner at OMA, for the Qatar National Library in Doha, by OMA 

Sheila O’Donnell, founding director of O’Donnell + Tuomey, for the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, by O’Donnell + Tuomey 

Eva Prats, co-founder of Flores & Prats, for Casal Balaguer Cultural Centre in Palma de Mallorca, Spain by Flores & Prats and Duch-Pizà

2019 Moira Gemmill Prize shortlist:

Irene Pérez of TEd’A Arquitectes, based in Palma de Mallorca, Spain 

Jeannette Kuo of Karamuk Kuo, based in Zürich, Switzerland 

Xu Tiantian of DnA, based in Beijing, China 

Lina Ghotmeh of Lina Ghotmeh Architecture, based in Paris, France

The shortlisted candidates will present to the esteemed judging panel, and winners will be announced during the AJ/AR Women in Architecture Luncheon at The Savoy on March 1. For the first time, the candidates will also take part in the “Forum” event on February 20 with RIBA, where they will present their work and join in a conversation.