The American Academy of Arts and Letters, the annual architecture program honours prominent architects, artists, writers, and composers from the U.S, has announced the recipients of its 2018 architecture awards.

Established in 1955, the Academy’s annual architecture awards program began with the inauguration of the Arnold W. Brunner Memorial Prize and has since expanded to include four Arts and Letters Awards.

Chilean architect Smiljan Radic, Brad Cloepfil, principal of the Portland and New York City-based Allied Works Architecture, Boston’s MASS Design Group, Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation Professor Cassim Shepard and Bookseller and architectural publisher William Stout have been named as the 2018 winners.

This year’s winners were chosen from a group of 32 individuals and practices nominated by the members of the Academy. The jurors were composed of Annabelle Selldorf (chair), Kenneth Frampton, Steven Holl, Thom Mayne, James Polshek, Billie Tsien, and Tod Williams.

The Arnold W. Brunner Memorial Prize awards $20,000 to an architect of any nationality who has made a significant contribution to architecture as an art, while the Arts and Letters awards $10,000 to an American who explores ideas in architecture through any medium of expression.

The 2014 Serpentine Pavilion. Image © Iwan Baan 

Chilean architect Smiljan Radic has won the Arnold W. Brunner Memorial Prize, which awards $20,000 to "an architect of any nationality who has made a significant contribution to architecture as an art."

The jury stated: "Smiljan Radic creates strong atmospheric spaces that resonate deeply and transcend the visual,” said Annabelle Selldorf.  A graduate of the Catholic University of Chile’s School of Architecture and the Istituttto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia, Radic founded his own practice in Santiago, Chile, in 1995. He was the youngest architect to design the Serpentine Pavilion when asked in 2014.  Other notable projects include the Bio Bio Regional Theater, Concepción, Chile (2018); the VIK Wine Cellar, San Vicente, Chile (2014); and the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art extension, Santiago (2014)."

Veteran’s museum in the winter. Image © MIR/Allied Works Architecture

Brad Cloepfil, principal of the Portland and New York City-based Allied Works Architecture, has won the Arts and Letters Award in Architecture, which awards $10,000 to "an American who explores ideas in architecture through any medium of expression."

"Brad Cloepfil’s architecture is "exceptionally varied," said Kenneth Frampton, with a "wide range of material expression." Cloepfil founded his practice, Allied Works, in 1994 in Portland, Oregon, and expanded to New York in 2003.  The Clyfford Still Museum (2011) is "masterly," said Frampton, showcasing Cloepfil’s "tactile palette."  

"His National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio, is expected to open in 2018. Other notable works include the National Music Centre of Canada, Calgary (2014); the Museum of Arts and Design, New York (2008); and the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (2003)."

MASS Design Group's Haiti Cholera Treatment Center. Image © Iwan Baan

MASS Design Group has won the Arts and Letters Award in Architecture, which awards $10,000 to "American architects whose work is characterized by a strong personal direction."

MASS Design Group "challenges architectural preconceptions," Tod Williams said, focusing on "how architecture might be used as a tool for healing.”  MASS is deeply sensitive to the impact of architecture on people and their communities, and incorporates that mindfulness into every aspect of their practice.  For them, "architecture is inextricably united to social equity," said Williams. 

"MASS Design Group is led by Sierra Bainbridge, Christian Benimana, Justin Brown, Kelly Doran, Patricia Gruits, Sarah Mohland, Michael Murphy, David Saladik, Amie Shao, Matthew Smith, and Alan Ricks. Notable projects include the Mubuga Primary School, Rwanda (2015); the Maternity Waiting Village, Malawi (2015);  the GHESKIO Tuberculosis Hospital, Haiti (2015); and the Butaro District Hospital and Butaro Doctors’ Housing, Rwanda (2011 and 2012)."

Image courtesy of Cassim Shepard 

Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP) Professor Cassim Shepard was has won the Arts and Letters Award in Architecture, which awards $10,000 to "an American who explores ideas in architecture through any medium of expression." Shepard was praised for his contributions to urbanism. Billie Tsien said: Cassim Shepard’s work explores "the unseen lesser-known city that we all inhabit." 

"Shepard was the founding editor of Urban Omnibus, the Architectural League of New York’s innovative online publication, which examines the questions facing the modern city through a variety of media, and confronts the intersections of design, justice, and the urban fabric. Shepard recently published a new book called Citymakers: the Culture and Craft of Practical Urbanism." 

"Other notable projects include the documentary film The Quito Papers: Towards an Open City (2016), and the multi-screen video installations “Informal Urbanisms” and “Cross Section of Equity” at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum (2011 and 2016)."

Image courtesy of William Stout

Bookseller and architectural publisher William Stout has won the Arts and Letters Award in Architecture, which awards $10,000 to "an American who explores ideas in architecture through any medium of expression."

In a jury statement, William Stout’s work as a bookseller and architectural publisher "has nourished architecture culture for over forty years," said Steven Holl.  

"William Stout Architectural Books, which has locations in San Francisco and Richmond, California, grew from an informal exchange to a crucial repository of the knowledge and culture of contemporary architecture. As a publisher, he highlights local innovation and essential classics."

The awards will be presented in New York City in May at the Academy’s annual Ceremonial. Work by the winners will be featured in the Ceremonial Exhibition: Work by New Members and Recipients of Awards, on view in the Academy’s galleries on Audubon Terrace.

Top image: The 2014 Serpentine Pavilion. Image © John Offenbach

> via American Academy Arts and Letters