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UIA |
The UIA Gold Medal and Prizes are awarded every three years during the Congress
of the International Union of Architects. These honorific UIA Prizes were
created in 1961 to reward professionals whose merit, talent or actions are
of international renown. The prestigious Gold Medal was initiated by the
UIA Council in 1984, to honour an architect (or group of architects) having
distinguished themselves through their work and professional practice by
the quality of services rendered to man and society. The recipient receives
a medal in solid gold.
When creating this medal, in 1984, the aim of the UIA was to bestow
it with a prestige equivalent to that held by the Nobel Prize in the fields
of Arts, Sciences and Social Sciences.
This unique and international prize, free of any national or private interests
whatsoever, is the supreme honour awarded by the UIA and the highest recognition
that an architect may receive from his fellow architects. It is awarded
to a living architect in recognition of his achievements and contributions
made throughout his life and career to the benefit of man and society, and
the promotion of the art of architecture
The Gold Medal is ceremoniously awarded every three years during the UIA
World Congress. The first medal was awarded to Hassan Fathy (Egypt); the
second to Reima Pietila (Finland) in 1987; the third to Charles Correa (India)
in 1990, and the fourth to Fumihiko Maki (Japan) in 1993.
Each UIA Member Section may nominate a single candidate for the Gold Medal.
Nominees must, in principle, have been recipients of a significant architectural
award.
These Prizes, of a thematic nature, are each dedicated to the memory of
one of the early Presidents of the Union, whose name they carry.
All UIA Member Sections may submit candidature files, on the condition that
the candidate is a member of a UIA Section. The file, written in English
or French, must contain a biographical note and professional details, photographs
of his/her completed works and one of the candidate.