NEWS RELEASE

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND LETTERS
ANNOUNCES 2008 ARCHITECTURE AWARD WINNERS

New York, NY, March 27, 2008 -- The American Academy of Arts and Letters announced today the names of the five recipients of its 2008 awards in architecture. They are James Carpenter, Neil Denari, Kenneth Frampton, Jim Jennings, and Peter Zumthor.

Arnold W. Brunner Memorial Prize in Architecture

$5000 given to an architect of any nationality who has made a significant contribution to architecture as an art.
Peter Zumthor

Academy Awards in Architecture

Two Academy Awards, of $7500 each, recognize American architects whose works are characterized by a strong personal direction.   Neil Denari and Jim Jennings

Two Academy Awards, of $7500 each, acknowledge American designers who explore ideas in architecture through any medium of expression.   James Carpenter and Kenneth Frampton

The awards will be presented in New York in May at the Academy's annual Ceremonial. The award winners were chosen from a group of thirty-six architects nominated by the members of the Academy. The members of this year's selection committee were: Henry N. Cobb (chairman), Peter Eisenman, Michael Graves, Charles Gwathmey, Hugh Hardy, Steven Holl, Ada Louise Huxtable, Richard Meier, Cesar Pelli, James Stewart Polshek, and Billie Tsien.

Exhibition of Work by Newly Elected Members and Recipients of Honors and Awards Works including models and renderings by the 2008 Architecture Award winners will be featured in our upcoming exhibition, Exhibition of Work by Newly Elected Members and Recipients of Honors and Awards. The exhibition will be on view from Thursday, May 22 through Sunday, June 15, 2008, at the Academy's galleries located on Audubon Terrace, Broadway between 155 and 156 Streets. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is free. The galleries will be closed on May 24 and 25, 2008, for Memorial Day weekend.