2023 National Prizes: National President’s Prize

Jury citation

In 2023, the National President’s Prize is awarded to Catherine Townsend, Bruce Townsend, Dominic Pelle and Nathan Judd in recognition of their immense contribution to architecture over many decades through the Contemporary Australian Architects Speaker Series. Now in its thirty-sixth year, the series is an innovative and exciting platform that engages audiences both in Australia and overseas in conversations about the benefits of well-designed buildings and the contribution of architects and architecture to our society.

Canberra-based architects Bruce and Catherine Townsend initiated the series in 1987 under the auspices of the ACT Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects. Its aim was to provide an opportunity for ACT architects to hear Australia’s leading contemporary practitioners speak about their work and their views on the state of the profession.

According to Catherine Townsend in a 2022 interview with the National Gallery of Australia, the idea behind the venture was to attract the “bright lights, the great and the good of architecture” to Canberra. “There were speaking circuits in Melbourne and Sydney, but we never got a look-in,” she said. We felt the tyranny of distance like a stab in the heart and thought to ourselves, we must do some-thing about it.”

Since then, the annual series has grown in popularity, with its audience reaching well beyond the architectural profession. Building on its success, a partnership was established in 1995 between the National Gallery of Australia and the Institute. BCA Certifiers lent its support to the series in 2004 and remains the sole sponsor.

In 2004, after running the series for 17 years, Catherine and Bruce passed on the baton to fellow Canberra architects Dominic Pelle and Nathan Judd, who are the current convenors. Although no longer involved in the curation and running of the series, Catherine and Bruce retain a keen interest in its thematic direction.

To manage COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the series pivoted in 2020 from an in-person Canberra-based event to a worldwide digital series, while retaining its focus on Australian architects. Today, it continues to provide a window into some of the most highly considered architectural projects by Australian architects, and to tackle the bigger questions of what constitutes good design, why good design is important, the importance and recognition of Country, and the future of our cities. Past series speakers include Paul Pholeros, Alec Tzannes, Glenn Murcutt, Rachel Neeson and Kerstin Thompson.

The vision and enduring commitment of Catherine and Bruce Townsend, Dominic Pelle and Nathan Judd, which is embodied in this series, is to be applauded for raising the profile of architecture and design with audiences in Australia and globally.

Jury

Shannon Battisson FRAIA (Chair) – National President, Australian Institute of Architects | The Mill: Architecture and Design