Glenn Murcutt on the award of the inaugural Murcutt Pin to Francis Kéré
Two Pritzker Prize winning architects - Glenn Murcutt AO and Francis Kéré - will speak at a sold out event at the State Library marking the official start of the inaugural Murcutt Symposium this Friday 12 September 2025 in Sydney.
In conceiving the inaugural Murcutt Symposium, Murcutt saw the opportunity for a prize that awards an architect working with communities to deliver positive, practical change. The Murcutt Pin is a new international prize, designed by Murcutt, to be awarded in true recognition of an architect working to improve the environment for, and with, communities.
In speaking about the design of the new Murcutt Pin, Glenn Murcutt says:
“Throughout my life, my work has sought the clarification of the essential. I have always searched for solutions that are at the junction of the rational and the poetic.”
Rather than a medal to be hung from the neck, Murcutt wanted something modest but refined. So the Murcutt Pin is to be worn more like a lapel pin - looped through a garment. As Murcutt puts it, the inspiration, as in all his work, begins at the junction of the rational and the poetic. Murcutt started first with the simple form of a cone; slicing through it on an angle to reveal the shape of what the cone really is. “The act of slicing the cone - the rational - reveals the shape of what the cone really is - the poetic. It is about revealing the inevitable. When things have a place, and things have a feeling of inevitability about a solution, then we are at the beginning of finding serenity; a quietness, a peace, a calm.”
Next, Murcutt has an abiding interest in the nature of materials. Here, he recognises his roots by choosing white gold in honour of his father’s gold prospecting past in Papua New Guinea. Finally, Murcutt is renowned for building close, trusted relationships with skilled artisans to produce fine work. That’s why Glenn Murcutt turned to Adelaide’s famed Jam Factory for the fabrication of the Murcutt Pin. Ultimately, the Murcutt Pin symbolises the synthesis of nature, materials and craft.The Murcutt Pin will be presented every two years to an architect of outstanding commitment to improving the lives of people in the world through architecture. In 2025, the Murcutt Pin is awarded to Francis Kéré. In speaking on the award to Francis Kéré, Murcutt says:“I have a huge amount of respect and time and a wonderful friendship with this man because of his integrity. I want Francis to share his own incredible connection with people; his connection with his land, his culture and his built culture. When I was on the Pritzker Prize jury, he gave one of the most arresting lectures I have ever heard. He enacted the process of construction; showing how they mixed and lifted the mud; how they poured the mud and tampered it down. It was the most beautiful presentation. His are buildings built as a consequence of the community’s own way of living, from the flooring to using rammed earth walls, to producing a double roof over these big thermal mass walls that in summer time were completely shaded.”
In receiving the award from Glenn Murcutt, Francis Kéré shared an early memory of Murcutt's work:"When I first saw a photo of Glenn’s Marika Alderton House, with two Aboriginal children sitting on the porch, I was really moved. The simplicity, the openness, the comfort it created, it stayed with me. What struck me most was how architecture could feel so gentle and human, shaping a space that nurtures people. Later, when I met Glenn in person, I felt that we were connected in spirit, even though we come from very different places. His work shows that thoughtful architecture can honour culture, place, and the environment all at once. Glenn is not only one of the greatest architects and a role model for me, but he is also a very special human being. To receive the Murcutt Pin as the very first recipient is an incredible honour, and it strengthens my commitment to continue along my path."
Read “The junction of the rational and the poetic”: Glenn Murcutt’s award bestowed upon Francis Kéré’ at Indesignlive
About Francis Kéré
Francis Kéré, founder of Kéré Architecture, is an internationally acclaimed architect known for his community-focused and sustainable approach. He won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2004 for his first project, a primary school in his native Gando, Burkina Faso. In 2022, he became the first African architect to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize. Kéré's work has been exhibited worldwide, and he currently holds professorships at TU München and Yale University. Kéré Architecture works globally. Current projects include the Benin National Parliament and Dakar's Goethe Institut.About the Jam Factory
JamFactory is a unique not-for-profit organisation that champions the social, cultural and economic value of craft and design in daily life. Through its programs, they inspire audiences, build careers, and extend contemporary craft and design into new markets. For over 50 years, JamFactory has been supporting and promoting innovative and outstanding craft and design through their studios, galleries and shops. Located in Adelaide’s West End Creative Precinct, with a secondary site at Seppeltsfield in the Barossa, JamFactory is a unique not-for-profit organisation supported by the South Australian and Commonwealth Governments and recognised globally as a centre for excellence. JamFactory also works with like minded organisations, architects and designers to design and manufacture bespoke elements for specialty commissions and projects. The Murcutt Pin has been produced by JamFactory’s Jewellery and Metal studio.Acknowledging support
The Murcutt Pin represents the pinnacle of craft in metalwork. We are so grateful to No.1 Roofing for their support in bringing this original Murcutt design object to life, and we are proud of our association with them. 