Sir Nicholas Grimshaw (AA Dipl 1965), renowned for his Modernist public buildings and large-scale infrastructure projects, is the recipient of the 2019 RIBA Royal Gold Medal. Given in recognition of a lifetime’s work, the Royal Gold Medal is approved personally by Her Majesty The Queen and is given to a person or group of people who have had a significant influence 'either directly or indirectly on the advancement of architecture'.

After graduating from the AA, Grimshaw worked with Terry Farrell for fifteen years before setting up his own practice in 1980, which now employs over 600 staff with offices in Los Angeles, New York, London, Doha, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne and Sydney. Grimshaw was a member of the AA Council for 11 years during which he was also President of the AA from 1999-2001.

On making the announcement, RIBA President, Ben Derbyshire said: “For more than half a century, Sir Nicholas’s influence has been exceptional. He is responsible for an extraordinary number of buildings and infrastructure projects of international significance, and for the continuous development of an architecture which places technology at the heart of the aesthetic.”

Grimshaw joins the pantheon of AA Alumni receiving Royal Gold Medals, including Zaha Hadid (2016), David Chipperfield (2011), Edward Cullinnan (2008) and Rem Koolhaas (2004). See more AA Alumni Royal Gold Medallists by visiting our AA Alumni page.

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