4 Projects
About Glenn Murcutt
Glenn Marcus Murcutt, born 25 July 1936, is an Australian architect and winner of the 1992 Alvar Aalto Medal, the 2002 Pritzker Architecture Prize and the 2009 American Institute of Architects Gold Medal. Glenn Murcutt works as a sole practitioner without staff, builds only within Australia and is known to be very selective with his projects. He pursues architecture that is rooted in Australia’s culture and its diverse climate and topography, while being active internationally, teaching and lecturing as a professor at universities throughout the world. Being the only Australian winner of the prestigious Pritzker Prize, he is often referred to as Australia’s most famous architect.
Murcutt’s motto, ‘touch the earth lightly’, leads him to design his works to fit into the Australian landscape features. His works are highly economical and multi-functional. Murcutt also pays attention to aspects of the environment such as wind direction, water movement, temperature and light surrounding his sites before he designs the building itself. Materials such as glass, stone, timber, concrete and steel are often included in his works. Murcutt’s buildings reflect his desire to maintain harmony with the environment. His houses often feature corrugated iron with the ribs laid horizontally, creating a linearity that he felt responded to the landscape instead of competing with it.
