2013 AAA Awards: Gold Medal

Jury citation

Peter Wilson, Bolles+Wilson.

Image: Thomas Rabsch

Peter Wilson has been awarded the 2013 Gold Medal in recognition of an outstanding body of architectural works of great distinction, widely published and exhibited over more than thirty years, and for his longstanding contribution to the development of architectural drawing as a tool of representation and research. As an expat Australian, Peter Wilson has served as a remarkable statesman for Australia.

Peter Wilson was born in Melbourne in 1950. After studying architecture at the University of Melbourne, he went on to the AA [the Architectural Association School of Architecture] in London in 1972, where he met Julia Bolles-Wilson. Originally established in London in 1980, the partnership ultimately evolved into Architekturbüro Bolles+Wilson, based in the

As a director of Bolles+Wilson, Wilson has designed numerous projects of very high quality. This work has been broadly published and has received many awards. It is not easy to gain commissions in Europe; however, Wilson’s firm’s ongoing success with international competitions has intensified his reputation and further supplements his powerful collection of architectural works.

Wilson is also dedicated to teaching and has inspired students and architects by giving his time generously in provocative, relevant and articulate public lectures overseas and in Australia. His intellectual contribution to thinking on architecture has been considerable.

In April 2009, his contribution to the profession, along with that of partner Julia Bolles-Wilson, was acknowledged with a Gold Medal by the XI International Triennale of Architecture in Cracow. To that honour, Peter Wilson added the 2009 President’s Prize – an award inaugurated in Victoria, to acknowledge highly deserving Victorians for their contribution to architecture. Recently, Peter Cook reviewed the Bolles+Wilson competition-winning Münster Library in The Architectural Review and described Peter Wilson as the leading protagonist and most talented creator of a new architectural stream, characterizing his work as “Australian.”

His extremely distinguished career and highly recognized and awarded practice has been a great tribute to his capability and has showcased an Australian practitioner to the world. Peter Wilson has been an exemplary international ambassador for Australia and is a worthy recipient of the Australian Institute of Architects’ highest honour, the Gold Medal.

Jury: Shelley Penn FRAIA (Australian Institute of Architects National President); Brian Zulaikha LFRAIA (Australian Institute of Architects Immediate Past President, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer); John Denton LFRAIA (1996 Gold Medallist, Denton Corker Marshall); Professor Brit Andresen LFRAIA (2002 Gold Medallist, The University of Queensland); David Karotkin FRAIA (Australian Institute of Architects WA Chapter President, Sandover Pinder).

Read reviews of Raakspoort City Hall and Cinema, Urban Theatre, RS+Yellow Distribution Centre and other endeavours of Bolles + Wilson here.