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Dezeenwire: British architect David Chipperfield is to be awarded the Royal Gold Medal for architecture. See press release below.

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Above photograph is by Martin Godwin

Sir David Chipperfield CBE to receive the Royal Gold Medal for architecture

The internationally-acclaimed British architect Sir David Chipperfield CBE has been named today as the recipient of one of the world’s most prestigious architecture prizes, the Royal Gold Medal.

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.

Given in recognition of a lifetime’s work, the Royal Gold Medal is approved personally by Her Majesty the Queen 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”.

Speaking today David Chipperfield said of the honour,

“I am overwhelmed by the decision of the RIBA to award me the 2011 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 honour and that I can fulfil 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 Honours 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 will be delighted to present him with the Royal Gold Medal.”

David Chipperfield will be presented with the Royal Gold Medal on 10 February 2011 at a ceremony at the Royal Institute of British Architects in London, during which the 2011 RIBA International and Honorary Fellowships will also be presented.

This year’s RIBA Honours Committee was chaired by RIBA President, Ruth Reed with architects Edward Cullinan, Eva Jiricna and Chris Wilkinson, engineer Max Fordham and client Laura Lee. Sir David Chipperfield was nominated by Deborah Saunt, David Adjaye and Ruth Reed.

Sir David Chipperfield CBE, RA, RDI, RIBA

David Chipperfield was born in 1953 in London. He studied at Kingston School of Art and the Architectural Association in London. After graduating he worked at the practices of Douglas Stephen, Richard Rogers and Norman Foster.

David Chipperfield established David Chipperfield Architects in 1984 and the practice currently has over 180 staff at its offices in London, Berlin, Milan and Shanghai. The practice has won over 50 national and international competitions and many international awards and citations for design excellence, including RIBA, RFAC and AIA awards and the RIBA Stirling Prize 2007.

In 1993 David Chipperfield was awarded the Andrea Palladio Prize and in 1999, the Heinrich Tessenow Gold Medal. In 2004 he was made an Honorary Member of the Florence Academy of Art and Design, and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to architecture. He was appointed Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) in 2006, and in 2007 he was made an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and an Honorary Member of the Bund Deutscher Architekten (BDA). He was elected a Royal Academician (RA) in 2008and awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Kingston University. In 2009 he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany – the highest tribute that can be paid to individuals for service to the nation – and in the UK New Year Honours 2010 was named Knight Bachelor for services to architecture in the UK
and Germany.

David Chipperfield has taught and lectured worldwide.