The Sir John Sulman Medal for Public Architecture is an

architectural Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

award presented by the

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

chapter of the

Australian Institute of Architects The Australian Institute of Architects, officially the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (abbreviated as RAIA), is Australia's professional body for architects. Its members use the post-nominals FRAIA (Fellow), ARAIA (Associate Member) an ...

since 1932.80th anniversary of the Sulman Medal
/ref> The medal is sometimes referred to as the

Sulman Award The Sir John Sulman Medal for Public Architecture is an architectural award presented by the New South Wales chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects since 1932. The medal is sometimes referred to as the Sulman Award and now recognis ...

and now recognises excellence in public buildings in either New South Wales or in the

Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory until 1938, is an internal States and territories of Australia, territory of Australia. Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is situated within the territory, an ...

. Before the advent of the

Wilkinson Award The Wilkinson Award for Residential Architecture, Houses (New) is an Australian architecture award presented by the New South Wales Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects and was first awarded in 1961. The award recognises excellence ...

in 1961, it was on occasion presented to residential housing projects.

Background

The medal is presented in memory of the Australian architect Sir John Sulman (29 August 1849 – 18 August 1934). Sulman was born in

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, and emigrated to

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

in 1885. From 1921 to 1924 he was chairman of the Federal Capital Advisory Committee and influenced the development of

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. The medal was designed by

George Rayner Hoff George Rayner Hoff (27 November 1894 – 19 November 1937) was a British-born sculpture, sculptor who mainly worked in Australia. He fought in World War I and is chiefly known for his war memorial work, particularly the sculptures on the ANZAC ...

(1894—1937), sculptor and teacher, famed for his sculptures in Sydney's Anzac Memorial.

History of the Award

Sulman was an enthusiastic about town planning, and it was intended that the Medal was for ''"a building of exceptional merit that contributed to the streetscape"''. This interest in the greater urban environment and the relationship of the building to the public domain parallels the earlier

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

Street Architecture Medal instigated in 1923, and the RVIA Street Architecture Medal in Melbourne that began in 1929, later to be known as the

Victorian Architecture Medal The Victorian Architecture Medal is the highest honour awarded annually by the Victoria Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) and has been awarded 38 consecutive times since 1987. The Medal was originally known as the ‘Street ...

. In the 1950 Year Book of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, the Sir John Sulman Medal and Diploma was defined as being ''"awarded annually for a building of exceptional merit in one of the following classes: (1) Public and Monumental, (2) Educational and Ecclesiastical, (3) Commercial and Industrial, (4) Recreational, (5) Domestic and Residential. The building must have been erected in New South Wales within the previous five years and must be readily accessible and visible. The Jury comprises four Architects, one Painter, one Art Critic, and the Director of the National Art Gallery."''

List of Sulman Medal Winners

Background

History of the Award

List of Sulman Medal Winners

See also

References

Further reading