Toshiko Mori, Robert P. Hubbard Professor in the Practice of Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD), received the American Academy of Arts and Letters’ Gold Medal for Architecture, one of the Academy’s highest honors for excellence in the arts. Mori is the first woman to receive the award. The award was presented during the Arts and Letters Ceremonial in New York City on May 20, 2026.
“This award is deeply meaningful to me because it was nominated and voted on by the members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, who include writers, musicians, artists, and architects of the highest caliber and achievement,” Mori said. “I admire each and every one of them, and I am truly humbled and honored by this award.”
The Gold Medal is awarded in rotating categories each year to artists who have achieved distinction across an entire body of work. Recipients are chosen by the Academy’s 300 members. This year, two Gold Medals were announced: one for architecture, awarded to Mori, and one for history, awarded to writer and historian James McPherson.
Mori is the founding principal of Toshiko Mori Architect. Her work is recognized for its minimalist restraint and innovative use of materials, with a strong emphasis on ecological sensitivity and responsiveness to site conditions. Her portfolio spans both domestic and international projects, including master plans for the Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Branch and the Buffalo Botanical Gardens; the Thread Cultural Center and Artists’ Residences in Senegal; and the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Stephen Robert ’62 Hall, at Brown University.
