Presented at a ceremony in Santiago de Compostela by the President of Galicia, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the award was given in recognition of David Chipperfield’s commitment to the region and the work of Fundación RIA. During his acceptance speech David described himself as a ‘voluntary Galician’ after developing, together with his family, a strong connection to the region over the last 30 years.

Fundación RIA was set up by David Chipperfield as an independent agency to research and preserve the Galician quality of life. A team of architects has been based in Galicia since 2016 to study the built, natural and cultural environment, and to develop proposals for encouraging urban regeneration and promoting traditional small-scale economies.

The event, held on 10 October 2019 at the Palacio de Congresos e Exposicións de Galicia, marked the 30th anniversary of the award, which is organised by regional newspaper El Correo Gallego... [+]