Yvonne Farrell chairs the 2024 Alvar Aalto medal jury

This year, the Alvar Aalto Medalist will be selected by a jury consisting of Professor of Architecture Sharon Johnston of Johnston Marklee & Associates in Los Angeles, architect Finn Williams of Public Practice in Malmö, architect and journalist Tarja Nurmi and AOR Architects' founding partner, architect Erkko Aarti from Helsinki. The jury will be chaired by architect Yvonne Farrell from Grafton Architects in 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.

Further information about previous architect recipients of the Alvar Aalto Medal here.