by ArchitectureWeek

The Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) has awarded its Gold Medal for Architecture to Italian-born architect Enrico Taglietti. For 50 years, he has lived in Australia and influenced the course of regional architecture in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), most notably in the capital city of Canberra.

Taglietti has designed houses, schools, motels, ambassadorial buildings, libraries, and memorials. In awarding the prize, RAIA President Carey Lyon said this body of work is "highly significant in Australian architecture, both for its individual character and for its regional base in [and around] Canberra — away from the large coastal cities of mainstream Australia."

The awards jury observed that Taglietti's work "demonstrates the architectural story of an immigrant — seeing a new country with clear vision." Lyon adds that Taglietti's influence on Canberra architecture has been to "stimulate the intellect and eyes of those who know and admire his work."

Today, Taglietti is regarded as one of the capital's active "elder statesmen" of architecture. His stylish buildings feature what he describes as a "calligraphy" of elements: long horizontal flat roofs and balconies, sloping fascias and balustrades, battered walls, often incorporating sloping window reveals, and unpainted surfaces for texture and low maintenance. Both his large and small commissions have given him the opportunity to explore creativity with concrete.   >>>

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Enrico Taglietti, recipient of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects 2007 Gold Medal for Architecture. Photo: Vikky Wilkes The Apostolic Nunciature, Embassy of the Holy See, Red Hill, ACT, 1978. Photo: Enrico Taglietti   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.