Marion Mahony Griffin Prize

Criteria that support a nomination for this award are expansive and somewhat daunting.  

The prize recognises exceptional work across many disciplines within our field and has often been awarded to someone with humility who has worked in a consistently compelling way, yet like Marion Mahony, somehow under the radar. It is an award that celebrates women’s substantial, critical contribution to the architectural profession, too frequently unseen. 

All the shortlisted candidates were considered by the jury as outstanding.  

This year’s winner exemplifies all the professional attributes of the award’s namesake. An original and independent thinker, creative, adventurous, cross-disciplinary, and collaborative, she has also led in distinguished practice for over thirty years.  

The jury were struck by the lack of personal recognition, given her remarkable contribution across the profession within built work, as an educator, and to the character and culture of public spaces within our cities and regions.  

With extensive contributions across AIA committees and task forces to further the profession and enhance design quality and standards, she has also demonstrated ongoing commitment to the community, through mentorship and education, teaching extensively at both the University of Sydney and the University of NSW.  

Recognised during her studies for her talent, the recipient has challenged cultural norms, through times when women were under-represented in leading roles. Her creativity is evidenced through her work heading one of Australia’s most thoughtful practices, delivering delightful, consistently responsible outcomes which frequently blur an architectural, landscaped, and urban response.  

Her leadership is also marked by a collaborative approach in a partnership that champions considered, exceptional, highly awarded architectural designs that acknowledge local, cultural, and social contexts. Much of her wide-ranging contribution to the built environment is characterised by humility.  

Delivering outstanding work for over 30 years, as we all know, is challenging, and requires personal tenacity as well as commitment. It is striking the extent to which their practice has been equally awarded for urban, heritage, community projects, landscape, public contributions, for distinguished ‘background’ buildings as well as for more recognizable, architecturally conspicuous works. In the context of sustained architectural excellence, it is remarkable that they have also received the National AIA Walter Burley Griffin Award for Urban Design three times.  

It is perhaps fitting that the jury unanimously determined that the Marion Mahony Griffin Award for 2024 should be presented to Annabel Lahz.