Farshid Moussavi wins the 2026 Soane Medal for architecture
British-Iranian architect Farshid Moussavi has won the 2026 Soane Medal, the annual honour for architecture awarded by Sir John Soane's Museum in London. The award was reported on 28 September by Dezeen.
She is the tenth winner. The medal was established in 2017. This year's jury was chaired by architect Amin Taha.
It was given for what the organisers described as a sustained and rigorous contribution through building, teaching and writing. The award was also described as recognising her socially intelligent designs, according to the Observer.
Moussavi founded her own practice, Farshid Moussavi Architecture in London, in 2011. She is Professor in Practice of Architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a post confirmed by Harvard. She holds the titles OBE and RA.
Her built work spans three decades and three building types that the public can walk through. While at Foreign Office Architects, she completed the Yokohama International Port Terminal in Japan in 2002. With her own studio she built the Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Ismaili Center in Houston, Texas.
What makes this stand out for non-architects is the mix. Ports, museums and places of worship all turn on crowds, queues and shared space. That everyday use sits at the centre of the citation.
Moussavi will collect the medal in person in London. The presentation takes place at the Royal Academy in London on 24 November 2026, followed by a lecture open to all, according to Sir John Soane's Museum. Tickets for the lecture cost £15, with £5 tickets for students, the museum listings state.
