Farshid Moussavi Wins 2026 Soane Medal, Lecture Set for Royal Academy
The 2026 Soane Medal has been conferred upon Farshid Moussavi for her significant impact on architecture. The Iranian architect, who established Farshid Moussavi Architecture (FMA) in 2011, is set to receive this honor at the Royal Academy in London on 24 November 2026, where she will also present a public lecture. This annual award, initiated by the Sir John Soane's Museum in 2017, honors those enhancing the societal understanding of architecture. Moussavi's notable works include the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland and the Ismaili Centre Houston, both completed in November 2025. She has taught at various esteemed institutions and has published four books. The jury was led by architect Amin Taha, with past recipients including Madelon Vriesendorp and Kenneth Frampton.
Key facts
- Farshid Moussavi was awarded the 2026 Soane Medal for contributions to architectural practice, history and theory
- She will receive the medal at the Royal Academy in London on 24 November 2026 and deliver a public lecture
- The Soane Medal was created by the Sir John Soane's Museum in 2017 and is awarded annually
- Moussavi founded Farshid Moussavi Architecture (FMA) in 2011
- FMA's largest project to date, the Ismaili Centre Houston in Texas, was completed in November 2025 after an international competition
- Moussavi was born in Shiraz, Iran, in 1965 and studied at Harvard University Graduate School of Design, University College London and the University of Dundee
- She is the author of four books, including Architecture and Micropolitics in 2022
- The 2026 jury was chaired by architect Amin Taha; previous laureates include Madelon Vriesendorp, Hanif Kara, Anne Lacaton, Jean-Philippe Vassal, Peter Barber, Marina Tabassum, Denise Scott Brown, Kenneth Frampton and Rafael Moneo
- Daniel Libeskind received the 2026 Praemium Imperiale for Architecture and Kengo Kuma was selected for the 2027 Andrée Putman Lifetime Achievement Award
- The 2026 OBEL Award went to the Balearic Social Housing Model
Entities
Artists
- Farshid Moussavi
- Amin Taha
- Madelon Vriesendorp
- Hanif Kara
- Anne Lacaton
- Jean-Philippe Vassal
- Peter Barber
- Marina Tabassum
- Denise Scott Brown
- Kenneth Frampton
- Rafael Moneo
- Daniel Libeskind
- Kengo Kuma
- Renée Gailhoustet
- Reyyan Dogan
- John Soane
- Tilly Buckroyd
- Iwan Baan
- Paul Phung
- Vicky Richardson
- Sir John Soane
- Victoria Beckham
- Dean Kaufman
Institutions
- Farshid Moussavi Architecture
- FMA
- Royal Academy
- Sir John Soane's Museum
- Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
- Harrods
- Ismaili Centre Houston
- Harvard University Graduate School of Design
- University College London
- University of Dundee
- Architectural Association
- Berlage Institute
- Harvard University
- UCLA
- Princeton University
- Columbia University
- Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
- Praemium Imperiale
- Andrée Putman Lifetime Achievement Award
- OBEL Award
- ArchDaily
- Sir John Soane Medal
- Harvard GSD
- American Academy of Arts and Letters
- Ismaili Center Houston
- Soane Museum
- Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna
- Balearic Social Housing Model
- Farshid Moussavi Architects
- Foreign Office Architects
- OMA
- Architectural Association in London
- Hoger Architectuur Instituut Sint-Lucas
- Dezeen
- The Royal Academy
- Park Books
- Soane Medal jury
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Shiraz
- Iran
- Cleveland
- United States
- Montpellier
- France
- La Défense-Nanterre
- Paris
- Houston
- Texas
- Vienna
- Austria
- Spain
- Balearic Islands
- Ohio
- Yokohama
- Japan
- Rotterdam
- Netherlands
- Gent
- Belgium
- Mayfair