Established in 1981 to recognize visionary work by young practitioners, The Architectural League Prize is an annual competition, lecture series, and exhibition led by the League and its Young Architects + Designers Committee.
The 1995 League Prize asked entrants to consider the theme of time.
It has been observed that architectural fashions last an average of two years, but a career can span decades. Similarly, buildings often outlast their programs, giving rise to new uses and interpretations. Attitudes to past works are shaped by the filter of current ideas. Images are transmitted in milliseconds, while a structure might endure for ages; we can discover inspiration in an instant, yet labor years to find our expression.
While these ideas seem perhaps contradictory, they all address an idea of time. The concept of time can be manifest in many ways—through the confrontation of real time, the significance of a particular moment, the projected duration of a work, how the present shapes the context of a work, or any of the other implications of this idea.
Winners included:
- Joseph Krumpelmann
- Laura Kurgan
- John Nastasi
- Kevin O’Brien
- Michael Silver
- Lisa Tilder & Stephen Turk
- Mark Wamble
More from past League Prize winners
Slightly familiar and thoroughly enjoyable
Lap Chi Kwong and Alison Von Glinow want to create architecture that everyone can appreciate.
The Open Workshop lecture
A fast-changing world calls for a new way of thinking about architecture, says Neeraj Bhatia.
The architectural uncanny
Thom Moran uses strangeness and humor to critique architectural practice and investigate underexplored ideas.