Contract - January/February 2014 - 12

pHoto: Meg Walton

editorial

Honoring Women in Architecture and Design
Welcome to our annual Interiors Awards issue. This year, we are
That bluster-while directed at the AIA-is just, plain, overtly
celebrating 35 years of the Interiors Awards, including the Designer
harsh and wrong, and disrespectful to Morgan herself. Importantly,
of the Year distinction. For the first time, both our Designer of the Year
it discredits Julia Morgan as a person and as an architect for her life's
honor and the Legend Award both solely go to women in the same
work. Imagine the challenges and perceptions that she had dealt with
year. I'm so pleased to honor Krista Ninivaggi, the director of interiors
as a female architect with predominantly male colleagues and clients
at New York-based SHoP Architects, as the 35th Designer of the Year.
a century ago-she must have had a steely resolve to accomplish
Ninivaggi is entrusted by the leaders of one of the most respected firms what she did.
in New York to establish and build its interiors business. And Trisha
Should the AIA have named a woman as Gold Medal winner
Wilson-the hospitality designer who founded Wilson Associates
sooner? Absolutely. And Morgan's recognition is overdue, but the AIA
and is a true heroine through her work with The Wilson Foundation
boards through the years, sadly, just did not take the initiative to award
in South Africa-is the Legend Award recipient.
her years earlier. Should a living woman have won the award by now?
In this awards season, it seems that everyone is a critic when
Definitely. But past decisions aside, Julia Morgan has been selected this
it comes to the selections of winners in whatever award program,
year and her pioneering career should be remembered and celebrated.
whether it be for movies, television, music, or within our own profession. Understanding the breadth of her accomplishments, it is hard to name
In December, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced
a more worthy individual. Criticizing the selection is, in turn, dishonoring
that Julia Morgan would be posthumously awarded the 2014 AIA Gold
Morgan herself.
Medal. Morgan, who died in 1957, designed more than 700 buildings
Next year and beyond, will all eyes be on the AIA to select a living
in the first half of the 20th century, including the Hearst Castle in
woman as the Gold Medal winner? Yes. Who do you believe the first
California, and was the first woman to be a licensed architect in that
living woman to win the award alone should be? I say "alone," because,
state (in 1904, before women had the right to vote in California or
in an interesting twist, the AIA has instituted a change in its Gold Medal
across the United States) after being the first woman admitted
requirements, allowing for collaborators working as a pair to win
to the architecture program at l'École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
beginning next year. That opens the door for Gold Medal possibilities
Morgan is the first female recipient of the AIA Gold Medal, which
such as Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown, as well as Elizabeth
has been awarded since 1907. No living woman has received the honor. Diller and Ricardo Scofidio, who are leading the design of the latest
The Gold Medal is considered the highest honor the AIA can bestow on MoMA expansion (page 23) and have completed other culturally
an individual, living or dead, for their life's work, and names of all Gold
significant work.
Medalists are etched in granite in the AIA national headquarters lobby
To be sure, the architecture profession still has improvements
in Washington, D.C. The AIA national board of directors votes for a
to make in gender and racial diversity. Conditions are absolutely not
winner, but a recipient is not awarded every year. Other posthumous
equal. Perhaps the discussions related to this Gold Medal selection
honorees have included Thomas Jefferson, awarded in 1993, and
will open a broader dialogue about the profession, and will encourage
Sam Mockbee, honored two years after his death.
others to be part of changing the future face of architecture and design.
After the Morgan Gold Medal announcement, online commentary That is what we need.
included pointed criticism at the AIA for choosing Morgan, dead for 56
years, to receive the Gold Medal. The comments, curiously primarily
Sincerely,
from men, described the selection with phrases such as: "serious
miscalculation," "tone deaf," "tepidness," "patronizing," "conciliatory,"
John Czarnecki, assoc. aia, Hon. iida
"embarrassing," "opportunistic," and "to placate people." Really?
editor in Chief

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Contract - January/February 2014

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