Australian-born architect Donald Gray has been named the 2015 recipient of the Rafael Manzano Martos Prize for Classical Architecture and Monument Restoration, an annual award presented by the Notre Dame School of Architecture and the Richard H. Driehaus Charitable Lead Trust.
According to a Notre Dame press release, Gray is a Spanish citizen and works out of La Alpujarra. Some of his notable architectural work includes the Urbanización La Virginia in Marbella, Spain; Las Lomas del Marbella Club, a city hall in Pitres, Spain; and the Hotel La Tartana in Granada, Spain. According to a separate release from the Notre Dame School of Architecture, his work is generally referenced as the “Marbella architectural ensembles” and has contributed greatly to “the enrichment and recovery of Andalusian architecture.”
“Donald Gray began his career at a time when appreciation for traditional building was at one of the lowest points, and he has succeeded in creating new spaces that inspire and celebrate the traditions of how we live together and how we build,” Michael Lykoudis, the Francis and Kathleen Rooney Dean of Architecture, said. “His story is one of heroism as he persevered undaunted by the popular infatuation with the avant-garde and the often castigating eye of the architectural establishment.”
According to the press release, the Manzano Prize honors architects “who defend and preserve vernacular architecture and reinforce Spain’s architectural heritage.” Architects “of any nationality, who submit works that respect the landscape and urbanism of Spanish cities, can be candidates for” the prize. The award is named in honor of Rafael Manzano Martos, a Cadiz-born architect who spent his career working towards “the preservation of the architectural and urban heritage of Spain through both the restoration and design of new architecture based on this heritage.”
The origins of the Manzano Prize formed in 2010, when Manzano received the Richard H. Driehaus Prize from Notre Dame and met with Driehaus in Chicago. Dreihaus, according to the press release, was named by Barron’s magazine as one of the top 25 influential financiers of the twentieth century. He has been named an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando “in recognition of his work to preserve the Spanish heritage and his outstanding patronage.” He is the eighth recipient of that title and the first U.S. citizen to receive the honor.
According to the press release, Gray will receive 50,000 euros in award money and a medal during the prize ceremony, which will take place on Oct. 28 in Madrid. The Manzano prize is known as “the most generous in Spain in terms of its prize money.” Additionally, the prize establishes a two-day seminar to be held at a later time. This year’s seminar, “Architecture and Humanism,” directly addressed architects and encouraged them to use their occupation as a means of enhancing the quality of life for those they serve, a relevant theme in light of Pope Francis’ recent encyclical, “Laudato Si.”
“The ceremony will be held at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando,” MaryBeth Zachariades, communications program director for Notre Dame’s School of Architecture, said. “The ceremony will include remarks from prize juror and [Notre Dame] alumna Melissa DelVecchio, on behalf of Dean Michael Lykoudis, juror Léon Krier, Richard Driehaus and Donald Gray.”
“As a classical architecture school devoted to the idea of humanism, we believe in and teach the enduring values that traditional architecture and urbanism embody,” Lykoudis said. “Mr. Gray has made an extraordinary contribution to the idea of the inseparability of urbanism and architecture. His work embodies the Vitruvian values of beauty, utility and durability — all of which are necessary for the cultivation and sustainability of the built and natural environments.”
