RIBA International and Honorary Fellows

The RIBA has throughout its history honoured men and women who have made a major contribution to the world of design and architecture.

Any architect outside the United Kingdom who is not a UK citizen, and who has a demonstrable interest in the objectives of the RIBA and exhibits distinction and a breadth of contribution to architecture, may be elected an International Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects.

The lifetime honour, conferred annually, allows recipients to use the suffix Int FRIBA.

Prior to 2006, these were Elected Honorary Fellows. In 2006, with the creation of the new honour, all architect Honorary Fellows, including non-UK surviving Royal Gold Medallists, were made RIBA International Fellows.

2019 International Fellows

The 2019 International Fellows come from four different countries. Their work represents not only the spirit of their homelands but also transcends it to become truly international in its reference and influence.

From left to right, top to bottom.

• Frida Escobedo – Frida Escobedo Architecture Workshop, Mexico
• Poul Ove Jensen – DISSING+WEITLING architecture, Denmark
• Michael Murphy and Alan Ricks – MASS Design Group, USA
• Neri Oxman – MIT Media Lab, USA
• Emilio Tuñón – Tuñón Architects, Spain
• Ignacio Vicens y Hualde – Vicens + Ramos Architects, Spain

RIBA Honorary Fellowships reward the contributions people have made to architecture in its broadest sense: its promotion, administration and outreach; its role in building more sustainable communities, and its role in the education of future generations.

The lifetime honour, conferred annually, allows recipients to use the suffix Hon FRIBA.

Those honoured have contributed greatly towards architecture, be they practitioners, commentators or teachers. In their different ways, they have helped to improve the quality of design and influence the delivery of the built environment in a sustainable and creative way.

2019 Honorary Fellows

From left to right, top to bottom.

• His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed al-Qasimi – Ruler of Sharjah, UAE
• Robert Ball – Chief Executive, Architects Benevolent Society
• James Carpenter – Artist and Designer, James Carpenter Design Associates
• Beatrice Fraenkel – Chairman, Mersey Care NHS Foundation
• Sarah Gaventa – Director, Illuminated River Foundation
• Zina Jardaneh – Chair of The Board, The Palestinian Museum
• Eusebio Leal Spengler – Historian of Havana City
• Yana Peel – CEO, Serpentine Galleries
• Dr Lynne Walker – Architectural Historian, University of London