Romaldo Giurgola

Romaldo Giurgola
Born(1920-09-02)2 September 1920
Rome (or Galatina),[1] Italy
Died16 May 2016(2016-05-16) (aged 95)
Canberra, Australia
NationalityItalian and Australian
Alma materSapienza University of Rome, Columbia University
OccupationArchitect
AwardsAIA Gold Medal (1982)
RAIA Gold Medal (1988)
Officer of the Order of Australia (1989 )
Australian Centenary Medal (2001)
Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture (1989 & 2004)
PracticeMitchell Giurgola Thorpe (MGT)
BuildingsParliament House in Canberra

Romaldo 'Aldo' Giurgola AO (2 September 1920 – 16 May 2016) was an Italian-Australian academic, architect, professor, and author. Giurgola was born in Rome, Italy in 1920. After service in the Italian armed forces during World War II, he was educated at the Sapienza University of Rome. He studied architecture at the University of Rome, completing the equivalent of a B.Arch. with honors in 1949. That same year, he moved to the United States and received a master's degree in architecture from Columbia University. In 1954, Giurgola accepted a position as an assistant professor of architecture at the University of Pennsylvania.[2] Shortly thereafter, Giurgola formed Mitchell/Giurgola Architects in Philadelphia with Ehrman B. Mitchell in 1958.[3] In 1966, Giurgola became chair of the Columbia University School of Architecture and Planning in New York City, where he opened a second office of the firm.[3] In 1980 under Giurgola's direction, the firm won an international competition to design a new Australian parliament building.[2] Giurgola moved to Canberra, Australia to oversee the project. In 1989, after its completion and official opening in 1988, the Parliament House was recognised with the top award for public architecture in Australia.

  1. ^ "Romaldo Giurgola, Architect of Australia's Parliament House, Dies at 95". New York Times. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Architectural Archives | PennDesign". www.design.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  3. ^ a b Bernstein, Fred A. (16 May 2016). "Romaldo Giurgola, Architect of Australia's Parliament House, Dies at 95". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2 February 2017.