RAIC Gold Medal for Bing Thom

Architecture Canada | RAIC has announced Bing Thom MAIBC FRAIC AIA as the recipient of the 2011 RAIC Gold Medal in acknowledgement of his global reputation for innovative design along with his advocacy for urban and social change. The RAIC Gold Medal, the highest honour for the profession of architecture in Canada, is given for significant contribution to Canadian architecture. It recognizes an individual whose personal work has demonstrated exceptional excellence in the design and practice of architecture; and/or exceptional excellence in research or education. Among Thom’s successes are the master plans for the City of Dalian and the City of Yuxi in China; Surrey Central City; the Canada Pavilion for Expo ’92, the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts in Vancouver; Aberdeen Centre in Richmond, BC; the Pacific Canada Pavilion at the Vancouver Aquarium and Marine Science Centre; the Trinity Uptown Plan for Fort Worth, Texas; Vancouver’s Sunset Community Centre; and the recently completed Arena Stage theatre complex in Washington, DC. In reaching its decision, the Gold Medal Selection Committee noted “Bing Thom’s architecture consistently and skillfully balances the art of form-making with an over-arching capacity to create meaningful and sustainable ‘community’. It is an architecture that has the capacity to engage and inspire, to create community. It is transformative in the sense that it looks beyond program and site – it is an architecture which engages the broader urban, social and economic opportunity.” The annual RAIC Gold Medalist Lunch will take place Friday, May 27 as part of the 2011 Festival of Architecture.