Martha Thorne, Executive Director of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, presents a public lecture on the evolution of major discipline-based awards and how they may inspire greater professional creativity and public awareness of the field.
Martha Thorne is currently Dean of IE School of Architecture & Design, Madrid, Spain and also the Executive Director of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, a position she holds since 2005. She is especially interested in contemporary architecture, processes of urbanization, and innovative methods of teaching architecture.
Throughout her professional career, that took her to Madrid, Chicago and back to Madrid, she has been involved in exhibitions, publications and writing about architecture. She served as associate curator of the department of architecture at the Art Institute of Chicago for 10 years. She is the co-author of the books Masterpieces of Chicago Architecture and Skyscrapers: The New Millennium, editor of David Adler: The Elements of Style, editor and author for The Pritzker Architecture Prize: The First Twenty Years, and author of numerous articles for architectural journals and encyclopedias.
She designed and facilitated the architect selection process for the Barnes Foundation, as well as ones for Columbia College-Chicago and Syracuse University, among others. She is a member of the current jury of the international architectural prize arcVision – Women and Architecture Prize, honoring women and recognizing excellence and social responsibility in architecture, instituted by the Italcementi Group.
Ms. Thorne received a Master of City Planning degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban Affairs from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She undertook additional studies at the London School of Economics. She served as a Trustee of the Graham Foundation for Architecture and the Fine Arts and on the Board of Directors of the International Archive of Women in Architecture. Currently she is a member of the Board of Advisors of IE Higher Education.
Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor: Martha and Max Wells
The 360 videography project is supported by Suzanne and Ansel Aberly: this support enables digital recording of all 360 Speaker Series programs and the creation of an online archive for learners of all ages. Additional support for 360 Speaker Series provided by Sylvia Hougland and the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs.