Sir John Soane's Museum has announced Hanif Kara, a celebrated structural engineer and co-founder of AKT II, as the recipient of the prestigious 2024 Soane Medal. This marks a historic moment as Kara becomes the first engineer to receive the accolade, traditionally awarded to architects and theorists. The recognition highlights his profound impact on the built environment, particularly through his pioneering approach to interdisciplinary collaboration. Kara will deliver the Soane Medal Lecture at the Royal Academy on November 26.
Architects Lesley Lokko and Marina Tabassum have been selected in TIME Magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People of 2024.’ Known as the TIME 100, the list is an annual compilation of individuals who have made significant impacts on the world in various fields such as politics, technology, entertainment, and more. Each person on the list is profiled by a guest writer, often someone who is also prominent in their field. Selected by Sarah M. Whiting, Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Marina Tabassum features in the Innovators chapter, while Lesley Lokko, selected by filmmaker Ava DuVernay, is recognized as a Pioneer.
Sir John Soane’s Museum has announced French architecture practice Lacaton & Vassal as the recipient of the 2023 Soane Medal. The award comes in recognition of the office’s work spanning over 3 decades. Through an honest design approach, the office became known for the resourceful repurposing of materials and existing structures to prioritize the needs of residents and local communities. For this approach, the office has been previously awarded as the 2021 Pritzker Prize 2021 Laureate.
Denise Scott Brown in front of The Strip, Las Vegas, NV, US, 1966, Photo by Robert Venturi, courtesy of Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, Inc.
Next month, American architect Denise Scott Brown will receive the 2018 Soane Medal, an award given to "architects who have made a major contribution to their field, through their built work, through education, history and theory." A powerhouse jury that included Sir David Chipperfield, Paul Goldberger, Farshid Moussavi, Alice Rawsthorn, Oliver Wainwright selected Scott Brown for the second edition of the award. The 2017 Soane Medal was given to Rafael Moneo.
Sir David Chipperfield, Trustee of Sir John Soane’s Museum, said: ‘The jury considered many outstanding candidates; however Denise Scott Brown stood apart and was the jury’s unanimous choice. Scott Brown’s contribution across architecture, urbanism, theory and education over the last fifty years has been profound and far-reaching. Her example has been an inspiration to many, and we are delighted to honour her with the awarding of the Soane Medal.’
Spanish Architect Rafael Moneo has been selected as the recipient of the first-ever Soane Medal for contribution to architecture, presented by Sir John Soane’s Museum in London. As the medal winner, Moneo will be the first speaker to take part in the Soane Annual Lecture, established to “ [recognize] architects, artists, writers and others whose work has broadened and enriched understandings of architecture and the built environment.”
“We are delighted to announce this new Soane Annual Lecture and Medal, and look forward to the significant voices and ideas it will bring to the museum,” Sir David Chipperfield, Trustee of Sir John Soane’s Museum said. “Our aim is to promote architectural culture, as Soane himself worked so tirelessly to do, and we hope it will become an important event in the London calendar.’
Bruce Boucher, Director of Sir John Soane’s Museum, added: ‘We are pleased to inaugurate the Soane Annual Lecture and Medal, and honoured that Rafael Moneo will be the first recipient. His buildings, writings, and teaching have immeasurably enriched the field of architecture, and his lecture promises to be a significant contribution to the contemporary discussion.”
