Sir John Soane’s Museum in London has announced a new initiative designed to raise the profile of architects, artists and writers “whose work has broadened and enriched understandings of architecture and the built environment”, according to a museum statement. The inaugural Soane Annual Lecture, to be held at the Royal Institution in Albemarle Street, London, on 1 November, will be given by the Spanish architect Rafael Moneo who designed the Prado’s new wing (2007). And in a neat nod to history, Moneo will be awarded the Soane Medal, a copy of the medal presented in 1835 to Sir John Soane by “the Architects of England”, in recognition of his “essential services to architecture”. The museum director, Bruce Boucher, says in a statement: “Moneo’s buildings, writings, and teaching have immeasurably enriched the field of architecture, and his lecture promises to be a significant contribution to the contemporary discussion.”
