Will Alsop; image © Antonio Olmos

Internationally renowned architect Will Alsop OBE is receiving an honorary degree from the University of Greenwich. In a graduation ceremony taking place at the Greenwich Campus, he will receive the degree of Honorary Doctor of Design (HonDDes) in recognition of his achievements.

Elected to the Royal Academy in 2000, Will Alsop is known for his distinctive and controversial modernist buildings, which are usually distinguished by their use of bright colours and unusual avant-garde forms. His iconic, sometimes irreverent designs have established him as a visionary in his field and earned him many prestigious awards. These include the Stirling Prize (2000), the most prestigious architecture award in the UK, for his Peckham Library project.

Peckham Library in London; image © All Design

He enjoys close ties with the university, and in particular with its Department of Architecture & Landscape, a relationship that goes back 30 years to his first guest lecture at Greenwich in 1985. He continues to gives public lectures at the university, and to offer staff and students expert advice.

Professor Neil Spiller, a Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor at the university's Faculty of Architecture, Computing & Humanities, and Hawksmoor Chair of Architecture and Landscape, adds: "He has long been a shining beacon of creativity and artistic integrity, and a thoughtful mentor to generations of students."

Honorary degrees are awarded by the University of Greenwich to individuals of distinction who have made a major contribution to the work of the university, or who have earned prominence for activities associated with education, business, culture, creative work and public service.

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