October 4, 2006

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) today announced that the Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron were recipients of the Royal Gold Medal. The 158-year-old award, established by Queen Victoria and approved annually by the queen, honors design that has made an international impact.

The Royal Gold Medal takes into account a lifetime’s worth of work, and it is the second time in less than a month that Herzog & de Meuron haven’t had to actively compete for the accolades. In mid-September, the duo won the commission to design the new home for the Miami Art Museum—a decision also based on its preexisting oeuvre. Herzog & de Meuron was selected from a research committee’s initial list of 75 candidates, and the $120 million construction project is scheduled for completion in 2010. The 125,000-square-foot museum and an accompanying outdoor sculpture garden will be located within the redeveloped Museum Park. Galleries will comprise 32,000 square feet of its 125,000-square-foot total size; programming also includes a library, auditorium, classrooms, and workshop and retail space.

Due to the nature of the selection process, a concept design is not yet available. Museum director Terence Riley will likely release images in December 2007.

David Sokol

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