The Paul Gunther Fund

Investing in Inclusive Public Spaces

The Architectural League is honored to carry on the legacy of cultural leader, preservationist, and public realm activist Paul W. Gunther (1956–2022) through the Paul Gunther Fund. The Fund will support the Paul Gunther Prize for Inclusive Public Space, an annual $20,000 award given over ten years to support individuals or teams whose projects are committed to inclusive public space, with a special focus on New York City. 

In a densely populated city like New York, public spaces play a pivotal role in personal, communal, and civic lives. The making and preservation of public spaces takes creativity and a great amount of resources. However, inclusive public space—defined as space freely accessible to all, fostering belonging among people of different ages, genders, races, religions, or abilities—is increasingly at risk and urgently in need of investment, in New York City and across the United States. 

The Gunther Fund ensures that promising designers and scholars will have the resources to advance impactful, actionable proposals that strengthen and expand the public realm Paul so passionately defended. By expanding the Gunther Fund, we aim to uplift voices and visions that are not only committed to the public realm, but offer unique and actionable proposals to advance its inclusiveness and accessibility for all New Yorkers. This New York City–based work is meant to serve as a model for equality committed work in the public realm across the country and the world.

Application for the Paul Gunther Prize for Inclusive Public Space will open in 2026.

Paul Gunther was a tireless champion of New York City’s built public realm, recognizing that its vitality resulted from the diverse perspectives of artists, architects, and everyday citizens alike. Throughout his career, he held leadership roles at New York–based nonprofit arts organizations such as the Gracie Mansion Conservancy, the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art, the New York Historical Society, and the Municipal Art Society. These platforms enabled Gunther to pursue his wide-ranging interests, from safeguarding neglected neoclassical monuments to ensuring that the redevelopment of Times Square preserved its incandescent signage. His lifelong commitment to both innovation and preservation directly inspires the fund’s mission to uphold and expand the vitality of New York’s shared urban spaces.

How Can You Help

The success of the Paul Gunther Fund depends on the generosity of those who believe in the value of strengthening shared urban spaces. Your support will enable the League to continue investing in the architects, designers, and thinkers who have the potential to redefine and shape the future of our built environment.

If you would like to support the Paul Gunther Fund, please make a gift using the League’s online contribution form and select “Paul Gunther Fund” from the dropdown menu when choosing your area of support.

Donors

We are grateful to the growing list of our donors for the Fund, listed in alphabetical order:

Donald Albrecht
Kent and June Barwick
Laurie Beckelman
Paul Beirne
Bloomberg Philanthropies
Christian Peltenburg Brechneff and Tim Lovejoy
Carol Ann Clark and Kyle R. Johnson
David W. Dunlap
Tom Finkelpearl
Angela Fremont
Diana J. Fuss
David Gissen and Rachel Schreiber
Steven Godeke
Mario Gooden Studio
The Gramercy Park Foundation
Elizabeth Gregory and Patrick Peters
Nathan Kernan
Louise Kramer
Kitty Krupat
Elizabeth Lenahan
Seth Lieberman and Andrea Glick
Ilene Mason and Karen Hemenway
Jon McMillan
Briana Miller
Marc Porter
Ted Trussell Porter
Jan Seidler Ramirez
Janet Ross
Susan B. Rothschild
Joel Sanders
Tor Seidler and Joe Li
Deborah Straussman
Carl Brandon Strehlke and Moreno Bucci
Susan Stryker
Margaret Anne Tockarshewsky
Seth J. Weine
Mina Rieur Weiner
Sam and Elizabeth White

List as of January 7, 2026