Peter Pennoyer named 2024 Driehaus Prize laureate

The University of Notre Dame has announced its selection of architect Peter Pennoyer as the 2024 winner of the Driehaus Prize in recognition of his influence and commitment to traditionalism in the field of architectural design.

The $200,000 annual prize is among the highest total cash rewards in architecture and includes names such as Michael Graves, Robert A.M. Stern, and the most recent winner Ben Pentreath on its list of laureates. 

The award corresponds to the School of Architecture’s pedagogical focus on the inclusion of classical architecture in contemporary design practice and its adjacent contributions to realms of preservation, urbanism, and historiography. The Driehaus jury accordingly cited the Peter Pennoyer Architects founder's portfolio of buildings as being “unmatched in their form and details — beautiful, imaginative and discreet — belying the great effort such excellence requires.”

Outside of his professional endeavors, Pennoyer has been active in philanthropic efforts as a member of the Municipal Art Society of New York and board chair of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art while also contributing to the U.S. General Services Administration’s Design Excellence Program as a juror. He is also the author of several historical studies and other titles, the sum of which the jury citation referred to as having “guiding a generation of architects seeking to perpetuate the continuity that comes from practicing classicism as a living language capable of artistic expression and innovation.” 

Pennoyer is joined by the 2024 Henry Hope Reed Award winner Maurice Cox, the former Chicago Department of Planning and Development Commissioner who was honored for his work in Detroit, Chicago, and other cities that has "repeatedly put himself in places where the challenges seemed the greatest and [...] left behind solid foundations that others can build upon.” His name joins authors Wendell Berry and Vincent Scully on a list of past winners of the $50,000 award. Cox was also the Mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia, from 1996 to 2002. 

This year’s Driehaus Prize was selected by a jury that included RAMSA's Melissa DelVecchio, Notre Dame professor Michael Lykoudis, Léon Krier, and three others. Notre Dame Architecture Dean Stefanos Polyzoides, also a partner at the Pasadena-based firm Moule & Polyzoides, served as the jury chair. 

The prize will be awarded to Pennoyer as part of a special ceremony held on Saturday, March 23, in Chicago.