In the Gold Medal tour’s concluding A.S. Hook Address, recipients Neil Durbach, Camilla Block and David Jaggers offered individual reflections on their personal journeys and inspirations in architecture, and their perspectives on the profession’s evolving challenges and opportunities.
Recipients of the Australian Institute of Architects’ 2026 Gold Medal (pictured left to right): Camilla Block, Neil Durbach and David Jaggers.
The Australian Institute of Architects’ 2026 national Gold Medal tour has concluded with this year’s recipients – Neil Durbach, Camilla Block and David Jaggers of Durbach Block Jaggers Architects – delivering the tour’s final presentation, the A.S. Hook Address, in Sydney.
The speech included individual reflections from the three recipients, touching on their personal journeys and inspirations in architecture, and their perspectives on the profession’s evolving challenges and opportunities more broadly.
Each recipient also offered insights into significant projects from their practice’s extensive body of work, including Commonwealth Place (2002, with Sue Barnsley Design), the Olympic Amenities Buildings (1999, with Nick Murcutt), the Brickpit Ring (2005, with Sue Barnsley Design), UTS Thomas Street Building (2014, in association with BVN; now the UTS Vicki Sara Building), the Omnia building (2018, with SJB), Newcastle’s Fabric House (2017), the Roslyn Street office (2009), and Tamarama House (2015), among others.
Watch Durbach, Block and Jaggers’ complete A.S. Hook Address below:
In celebration of Durbach, Block and Jaggers’ Gold Medal win, colleagues and peers shared insight into the recipients’ practice and work for Architecture Australia ‘s May 2026 issue. Read Kate Goodwin’s essay here and Nick Bryant’s here , and Glenn Murcutt’s testimonial here , Sue Barnsley’s here , Andrew Mackenzie’s here , Marcus Zusak’s here , Elizabeth Farrelly’s here and John Wardle’s here .
This month, step inside buildings rarely open to the public in Hobart and Sydney, and visit the work of designers, artists and makers at exhibitions …
Four finalists have been named for the City of Melbourne’s 2026 City Design Award, which recognises design excellence in architecture, landscape architecture and urban design.
