Romaldo "Aldo" Giurgola (1920 – 16 May 2016) was an Italian-born academic, architect, professor, and author. He worked with various other architects, including in practices named Mitchell/Giurgola, and, in Australia, with Australian architect Richard Thorp, Mitchell/Giurgola & Thorp (MGT). He is known for his award-winning design of Parliament House in Canberra, Australia.

Early life and education

Romaldo Giurgola was born in Rome (or Galatina), Italy, in 1920.

After service in the Italian armed forces during World War II, he studied architecture at the Sapienza University of Rome, completing the equivalent of a B.Arch. with honors in 1949.

Giurgola was appointed chair of the Columbia University School of Architecture in 1965. In 1989, after its completion and official opening in 1988, the Parliament House was recognised with the top award for public architecture in Australia, the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Buildings.

By 2005 he had built his own house at Lake Bathurst, near Goulburn, New South Wales.

He was awarded the RAIA Gold Medal by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects in 1988.

In January 1989 he was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia, "for service to architecture, particularly the new Parliament House, Canberra". The award became substantive when he adopted Australian citizenship in 2000.

In 2004 his St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta, won him Australia's highest architectural award, the RAIA's Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture, which he was also awarded in 1989 for Parliament House.

In 2003 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Sydney.

  • INA Tower, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1971–75)
  • Penn Mutual Tower, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1971–75)
  • Columbus East High School, Columbus, Indiana (1972)
  • Lang Music Building, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania (1973)
  • Casa Thomas Jefferson, Brasília, Brazil (1974)

[[Liberty Bell Center (1974–75, demolished 2006), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|thumb]]

  • Liberty Bell Pavilion, Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1974–75, demolished 2006)
  • Tredyffrin Public Library, Strafford, Pennsylvania (1976).
  • Sherman Fairchild Center for the Life Sciences, Columbia University, New York City (1977).
  • Wainwright State Office Building, St. Louis, MO (1981).
  • Walter Royal Davis Library, UNC, Chapel Hill, NC (1982).
  • Parliament House, Canberra, Australia (1981–1988)
  • AB Volvo Corporate Headquarters, Gothenburg, Sweden (1984)
  • Layfayette Place (now Swissotel), Boston, Massachusetts (1985).
  • Virginia Air and Space Center / Hampton Roads History Center, Hampton, VA (1987 / 1992).

St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, [[Charnwood, Australian Capital Territory|Charnwood, ACT (1989), north side and entrance doors|thumb]]

  • St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, Charnwood, Australian Capital Territory, (1989)
  • IBM Advanced Business Institute, Palisades NY (1989)
  • Solana Westlake Park, Southlake, TX (1989)
  • Life Sciences Building, CIBA Pharmaceuticals, Summit, New Jersey (1994)
  • Addition to St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia (2003)
  • Spence Wing, State Library of South Australia, Adelaide (with Hassell; 2001-2003)

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File:St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta b.jpg|St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia (2003 addition, right)

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References

  • Giurgola, Romaldo (1920-2016) on Philadelphia Architects and Buildings