London, UK – The Royal Academy of Arts recently announced that Cristina Iglesias has been awarded the 2020 Royal Academy Architecture Prize, honouring her inspiring contribution to the culture of architecture. To mark the third year of the annual prize, which is supported by the Dorfman Foundation, the distinguished international jury have recognised the enduring and vital tradition of public art in enhancing the quality of open civic spaces. Iglesias’s works, such as the Rivers and Public Spaces series (2006 – 2018), create a sense of public gathering, with their filling and emptying of water combining both spectacle and an antidote to the noise and pace of urban life surrounding it. Her collaborations both inspire and act as a reminder for architects on the crucial role of public space provision in our cities.

Chaired by the Royal Academician and founder of Foster + Partners, Norman Foster, jury members include co-founder of Stanton Williams, Alan Stanton RA, artist duo Jane and Louise Wilson RA, Pondicherry and Berlin-based architect, Anupama Kundoo and Professor of Urban Studies at the London School of Economics, Ricky Burdett.

Cristina Iglesias said: “I am very happy to be the recipient of the recognition by the Jury and the Royal Academy of Arts, in particular because it values what I believe is the integral role of sculpture in the city, in the public space. I am interested in the crossings between the architecture and sculpture, creating spaces and moments for contemplation and reflection in the midst of contemporary urban life.”