The Soane Medal continues the mission of Sir John Soane to encourage a better understanding of the central importance of architecture in people’s lives.
Established in 2017, the Soane Medal recognises architects, educators and critics who have made a major contribution to their field through practice, history or theory, and in doing so have furthered and enriched the public understanding of architecture. Previous winners are Peter Barber, Marina Tabassum, Denise Scott Brown, Kenneth Frampton, and Rafael Moneo.
The winner of the Soane Medal is selected annually by a panel of distinguished architects, critics and curators, which has been led by former Trustee of Sir John Soane’s Museum, Sir David Chipperfield. The recipient of the Medal writes and delivers a lecture at a special event at the Museum, which is streamed live around the world. The recipient also receives a replica of the original gold medal presented to Sir John Soane by the ‘Architects of England’ in 1835.
Soane Medal Lecture 2023: watch live online
We’re delighted to announce French architecture practice Lacaton & Vassal as this year’s recipient of the Soane Medal.
The award was presented at a ceremony in the Museum on Tuesday 28 November, where Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal gave the sixth Soane Medal Lecture. You can catch up with the lecture using the player below, or purchase a full printed copy from our shop.
About our Medallists
For over 30 years, Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal have been celebrated for their honest design approach. Through the resourceful repurposing of materials and existing structures, they transform buildings in a way which prioritises the needs of residents and local communities, while remaining sensitive to environmental concerns. The pursuit of continued architectural improvement underpins their work, demonstrating the importance of architecture in people’s lives. This was central to Sir John Soane’s own mission, who not only used his house as a place of experimentation, but to inspire and educate those who visited on architecture’s role in society.
Anne and Jean-Philippe said: “What comes after should always be better than what was there before. The buildings that people inhabit – their homes, workplaces and social spaces – should bring pleasure; architecture should be generous and free. We are overjoyed to be awarded this year’s Soane Medal. As Soane furthered the discipline in his own time, we are pleased to join a group of Medallists who demonstrate architecture’s role in each aspect of society today.”
Sir John Soane’s Museum is grateful to Hamish and Sophie Forsyth for their support of the 2023 Soane Medal Lecture.
