The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA) are proud to announce the recipients of the Governor General’s Medals in Architecture.   

The biennial awards recognize and celebrate excellence in recently built—and designed—projects by Canadian architects. The 2020 competition continues a tradition initiated by the Massey Medals in 1950, providing an important source of understanding of the nature of Canadian architecture and the regional, cultural, and historic forces expressed in the built environment. 

The 12 projects represent a variety of building types and sizes—from a natural swimming pool to a performance hall. They include a Baha'i temple, a waterfront art gallery, libraries, and a centre for remembrance. 

Winning projects come from across the country—with an international recipient as well—and they include Vancouver, BC, Edmonton, AB, Saskatoon, SK, Brampton, ON, Haliburton, ON, Drummondville, QC, St. Jérôme, QC, and Santiago, Chile. 

View images, descriptions of each project, and jury comments. 

The 2020 winners: 

• Remai Modern, Saskatoon, SK, KPMB Architects and Architecture49
• South Haven Centre for Remembrance, Edmonton, AB, SHAPE Architecture with PECHET Studio and Group 2 Architects 
• The Dock Building, Vancouver, BC, MGA | Michael Green Architecture 
• Polygon Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Patkau Architects
• Borden Park Natural Swimming Pool, Edmonton, AB, gh3 architecture
• Bahá'íTemple of South America, Santiago, Chile, Hariri Pontarini Architects 
• Drummondville Library, Drummondville, QC, Chevalier Morales in consortium with DMA architects 
• University of British Columbia Aquatic Centre, Vancouver, BC, MJMA and Acton Ostry Architects
• The Springdale Library & Komagata Maru Park, Brampton, ON, RDH Architects (RDHA)
• Gilles-Vigneault Performance Hall, St. Jérôme, QC, Atelier TAG  in consortium with Jodoin Lamarre Pratte Architects 
• Lake Kawagama Retreat, Kawagama Lake, ON, Shim-Sutcliffe Architects Inc.
• RTC 03, Edmonton, AB, gh3 architecture

“The 2020 Governor General’s Medal in Architecture represents the best in contemporary Canadian architecture—and the projects explore unique aspects of culture, context, and materiality across the vast expanse of our country,” said RAIC President John Brown, FRAIC. “They are a testament to the skill of the award-winning architectural firms and the tenacity of their clients who helped bring the poetic vision into reality. The RAIC is proud to advocate for the quality of Canada’s built environment by celebrating the work of these talented architects."

“On behalf of everyone at the Canada Council, I salute this year’s recipients of the Governor General's Medals in Architecture," said Simon Brault, Director, and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts. "Even more so than ever before, the excellence of these winning projects is a necessary inspiration and important reminder of the unifying nature of architecture to our daily lives in 2020 and beyond.”

About the awards

The Governor General’s Medals in Architecture, created by the RAIC, contribute to the development of the discipline and practice of architecture and increase public awareness of architecture as a vital cultural force in Canadian society. 

Medals are awarded for excellence in the art of architecture. The jury considers elements such as conceptual clarity, compatibility with the site, detailing, innovation and uniqueness, and sustainable design. 

The awards are administered jointly with the Canada Council for the Arts, which is responsible for the adjudication process and contributes to the publication highlighting the medal winners. 

The composition of the 2020 Jury is: 

• Alison Brooks, Principal and Creative Director, Alison Brooks Architects, London, UK 
• Johanna Hurme, FRAIC, Architect and Co-founder, 5468796 Architecture, Winnipeg, MB 
• Renée Mailhot, MIRAC, Architect and Co-founder, La SHED architecture, Montreal, QC 
• David Theodore, MRAIC, Canada Research Chair in Architecture, Health, and Computation at the Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture, McGill University, Montreal, QC 
• Isay Weinfeld, Head Architect, Isay Weinfeld Arquitetura, Sao Paulo, Brazil  

About the RAIC 

The Royal Architecture Institute of Canada (RAIC) is a not-for-profit, national organization that has represented architects and architecture for over 100 years, in existence since 1907. The RAIC is the leading voice for excellence in the built environment in Canada, demonstrating how design enhances the quality of life while addressing important issues of society through responsible architecture. The RAIC’s mission is to promote excellence in the built environment and to advocate for responsible architecture. The organization's national office is based in Ottawa with a growing federated chapter model. Current chapters and networks are based in British Columbia, Alberta, and Nova Scotia.

 
About the Canada Council for the Arts
The Canada Council for the Arts is Canada’s public arts funder.

The Council’s grants, services, initiatives, prizes, and payments contribute to the vibrancy of creative and diverse arts and the literary scene that reaches across Canada and abroad. The Council’s investments foster greater engagement in the arts among Canadians and international audiences.