Alvar Aalto medallist 2024 to be announced at the Alvar Aalto Symposium in August

The winner of the Alvar Aalto Medal is chosen by a distinguished jury: Professor of Architecture Sharon Johnston (Johnston Marklee & Associates, Los Angeles) from the United States; architect Finn Williams (Public Practice, Malmö) from Sweden; and architect and journalist Tarja Nurmi (Helsinki) and architect Erkko Aarti (AOR Architects, Helsinki) from Finland. The jury is chaired by architect Yvonne Farrell from Ireland (Grafton Architects, Dublin).

The medal designed by Academician Alvar Aalto and bearing the name was founded in 1967 to honour creative architecture. It can be awarded to any living person who has significantly distinguished themself creatively in the field of architecture. The internationally esteemed prize is awarded every three years.

In its work this year’s jury particularly considered what message its choice of medallist would send to architects and the wider community. The jury was unanimous in wanting their choice to prioritise architecture that shows a respect for nature and craft, and for knowledge of and respect for local identity. The jury also recognises the critical importance of architecture as space, experienced in a physical and emotional sense, as well as being masterly in terms of controlling light – an element that Aalto manipulated magnificently in his own buildings.

The Alvar Aalto Medal will be awarded to the medallist at a prize-announcement ceremony in Jyväskylä University’s main building on 22.8.2024. A video about the new medallist will be viewable at the ceremony. A more extensive exhibition of the medallist’s design work will be shown at the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum in Helsinki in spring 2025.

The internationally celebrated Alvar Aalto Medal was founded in 1967 by the Finnish Association of Architects SAFA, MFA Museum of Finnish Architecture (later the Museum of Finnish Architecture, now the Museum of Finnish Architecture and Design Museum), and Finnish Architectural Society. The Medal Committee also includes representatives of the Alvar Aalto Foundation and the City of Helsinki.