Eva Jiřičná has been awarded the 2013 Jane Drew Prize for her outstanding contribution to the status of women in architecture.
The jury was unanimous in its decision to award Jiřičná the prize, describing her work as ‘incredibly influential
Zaha Hadid Architects, prize judge ,said Jiřičná had ‘reinvented the idea of retail’ with her 1988 flagship store for the Joseph fashion label and praised her mentorship of students and colleagues.
Rafael Viñoly described her as an ‘extraordinary architect, but also an extraordinary person’, while fellow judge Ivan Harbour of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners said: ‘If you walk into any Apple store today, in the end, they all started with Eva.’
AHMM director Paul Monaghan added: ‘Her work has been incredibly influential and deserving of this important prize.’
Known for her glass and steel staircases, Czech-born Jiřičná set up Eva Jiřičná Architects in 1982 and her stellar career has seen her work with clients including Andersen Consulting, The Royal Academy of Arts and Selfridges.
Eva Jiřičná (born March 3, 1939) is a renowned architect and interior designer born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and based in London. After concluding her studies in engineering and architecture in 1962 at the Prague Academy of Fine Arts, Jiřičná moved to London and began her career in architecture by working for the Greater London Council and then the Louis de Soissons Partnership. In 1982, she founded her own practice alongside David Hodges and began to be recognized for her work in architectural competitionsEva Jiřičná (born March 3, 1939) is a renowned architect and interior designer born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and based in London. After concluding her studies in engineering and architecture in 1962 at the Prague Academy of Fine Arts, Jiřičná moved to London and began her career in architecture by working for the Greater London Council and then the Louis de Soissons Partnership. In 1982, she founded her own practice alongside David Hodges and began to be recognized for her work in architectural competitions
