Sir David Chipperfield Receives the Royal Gold Medal

Famed British architect Sir David Chipperfield will this evening receive one of the world’s most prestigious architecture prizes, the Royal Gold Medal, at a glittering ceremony at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in London. He will be presented with the medal by RIBA President Ruth Reed, in the presence of his family and 250 guests.

David Chipperfield’s practice has won over 50 national and international competitions and many international awards and citations for design excellence, including the RIBA Stirling Prize 2007 for the Museum of Modern Literature, Marbach am Neckar in Germany. His practice’s Neues Museum project in Berlin, in partnership with Julian Harrap, was shortlisted for the 2010 RIBA Stirling Prize.

Inaugurated in 1848 and given in recognition of a lifetime’s work, the Royal Gold Medal is approved personally by the Queen of England and is given to a person or group of people who have had a significant influence “either directly or indirectly on the advancement of architecture”.

David Chipperfield said of the honor, “I am overwhelmed by the decision of the RIBA to award me the 2010 Royal Gold Medal and to join a list that includes so many great architects and personal heroes. I hope that my career will justify this great honor and that I can fulfill the expectations that this award bestows on me. I share this award with my colleagues and family without whom such a personal achievement would have been well out of reach.”

RIBA President Ruth Reed, who chaired the Honors Committee which selected the Royal Gold Medal winner said, “The Royal Gold Medal is a highly prestigious award and in David Chipperfield we have an exceptional recipient. David is one of the world’s greatest architects with a portfolio of work that is international in influence. His architecture is one of calm rational elegance, he is a craftsman of delightful spaces and beautiful detailed buildings, and has carved out a career which is an inspiration to anyone seeking to work outside the boundaries of their home country. I am be delighted to present him with the Royal Gold Medal.”

This year’s RIBA Honors Committee was chaired by RIBA President, Ruth Reed with architects Edward Cullinan, Eva Jiricna and Chris Wilkinson, engineer Max Fordham and client Laura Lee.

See a selection of David Chipperfield Architects' most prominent projects below: