American architect, urbanist, writer and educator, Denise Scott Brown has been awarded the 2018 Soane Medal following a presentation of her lecture in London. The annual lecture and corresponding medal were established last year to recognise individuals who have made a significant contribution to architectural culture and discourse, building on the legacy of Sir John Soane.
Scott Brown’s lecture was pre-recorded at her home in Philadelphia and took the form of a narrated history of her early life and the experiences that shaped her later practice, illustrated by her own extraordinary photography. In his capacity as a trustee of Sir John Soane’s Museum London, David Chipperfield delivered the closing remarks, highlighting the significance of Scott Brown as an example to the profession for her social engagement and broad understanding of the built environment.
Fittingly the lecture was screened in the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery, a building designed by Scott Brown with her late partner and husband Robert Venturi.
Image by John Morgan studio