(GOLD MEDAL)
Kerstin Thompson
The Gold Medal is the Australian Institute of Architects’ highest honour. It recognizes distinguished service by architects who have designed or executed buildings of high merit, produced work of great distinction resulting in the advancement of architecture, or endowed the profession of architecture in a distinguished manner. The 2023 recipient of the Gold Medal is Kerstin Thompson.
Thompson is an outstanding architect whose design practice is renowned internationally as a significant and innovative reference point in Australian architecture and urban design. For more than three decades, she has contributed generously to architectural discourse across the country through her work as a designer, educator and highly respected keynote speaker. Further, she has displayed dedication to the profession through extensive efforts with the Australian Institute of Architects, including “captaincy” at the 2019 National Architecture Conference, creative directorship of the 2005 National Architecture Conference, co-curatorship of Australia’s official contribution to the 2008 Venice Architecture Biennale, and participation in countless design panels and juries – all while leading her practice with a level of skill, consideration and aesthetic to which many aspire.
Spanning varying scales, from large public projects to intricate domestic architecture, Thompson’s sublime work is at once generous, bold and highly nuanced. Taking its cues from the context, it creates a built form that allows the setting to take centre stage. Thompson employs a sleight of hand that makes every moment one of discovery: at Bundanon, the landscape is amplified, while at the Victorian College of the Arts, heritage takes on a newfound vibrancy. Her interventions are taut and beautiful in their own right, delivering a sense of wonder and inquiry to even the most experienced of her peers.
Integrating sustainable principles and a multidisciplinary approach to architecture, Thompson’s work is framed by a deep understanding of ecology and landscape. She has set precedents in her determination to extend the useful life of existing buildings. Finally, the distinctive economy and lean sensibility of her designs highlight the value and beauty of finite resources.
In the field of heritage architecture, Thompson’s work is particularly notable in the inventive ways that it addresses memory and establishes resonance between old and
