James O’Callaghan, engineer behind Apple's most daring glass structures, honored with 2019 Gold Medal from Institution of Structural Engineers

The Institution of Structural Engineers has announced James O’Callaghan as the recipient of its coveted Gold Medal this year in recognition of his achievements in the creative and boundary-pushing use of structural glass.

Since co-founding the British engineering design practice Eckersley O’Callaghan in 2004, O’Callaghan has turned the firm into an established global operation with six offices worldwide. 

"It is truly humbling to have been recognized with this award, alongside some of the most influential engineers of the last century – people that have inspired me throughout my career," said O’Callaghan.

“It has been an immensely rewarding journey and I have had the privilege to collaborate with some very talented people while exploring the limits of structural glass. I firmly believe that innovation in engineering is the key to unlocking the potential of materials and ultimately the advancement of society."

O’Callaghan, who is also a 2018 Fellow of the UK's Royal Academy of Engineering, gained recognition for his collaborations with Apple; helping the brand's flagship stores become instant icons as some of the world's most extraordinary glass structures, including the Glass Lantern at the Apple Store in Istanbul and the column-free Steve Jobs Theater Pavilion in Cupertino, California.

First awarded in 1922 to Professor Henry Adams, the list of other notable Gold Medal winners includes Felix Candela, Ove Arup, Oleg Kerensky, Edmund Happold, and more recently, Mike Schlaich, Robert Halvorson, Jo da Silva, and Professor Ding Jiemin.