Italian-born Canberra architect Enrico Taglietti has been awarded Australia’s most prestigious architecture prize—the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) Gold Medal for Architecture.

In presenting the Gold Medal at the Australian National University in Canberra on 15 March, RAIA President Carey Lyon said the Award Jury found:

Enrico Taglietti’s work is highly significant in Australian architecture, both for its individual character and for its regional base in Canberra—away from the large coastal cities of mainstream Australia.

In a career stretching back over fifty years, Taglietti is responsible for the creation of a large range of residential projects in Canberra, as well as public and commercial works ranging from schools, ambassadorial buildings and motels. His work can also be found in Melbourne and Sydney. His trademark buildings feature long horizontal flat roofs and balconies, sloping fascias and balustrades, battered walls, often incorporating sloping window reveals, unpainted surfaces and the dramatic use of concrete.

One news report indicates that Taglietti plans to use the award to add weight to his campaign against over-development in Canberra. Of particular concern to Taglietti is the National Capital Authority’s Griffin Legacy plan:

I am very concerned mostly with the city hill development between London Circuit and Vernon Circle where that will in actual fact completely destroy the heart of the city.

Further reading:

• Gold Medal page at www.architecture.com.au
• Report in The Australian
• ABC News announcement
• More about Taglietti on this site