Peter Barber OBE receives prestigious Soane Medal for his ground-breaking work in architecture

Barber is one of Britain's most acclaimed architects, who focuses on innovative and affordable social housing, helping to solve the housing crisis in the UK. He studied at the Polytechnic of Central London, the predecessor of the University of Westminster, to become an architect. He began his career in the 1970s, working for distinguished architect Richard Rogers. Barber’s first individual project was a house in Saudi Arabia, which led him to open his own studio in 2001, named Peter Barber Architects.

He designed several buildings in London, most notably the Mount Pleasant hostel for homeless people, and an additional 15 homes to the post-war Kiln Place. His studio has also planned the McGrath Road affordable housing scheme, winning the RIBA Neave Brown Award for Housing. In 2021 Barber received an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to architecture.

Talking about Barber’s work for the Sir John Soane’s Museum, The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “Peter Barber doesn’t hide his politics; they proudly inform every aspect of his work. He wants to design a world where social housing is first rate, not last resort. Where many see a commodity, Barber imagines a community. And while society leans more and more towards atomisation, he encourages integration.”

During the celebratory lecture, Barber said: “I would like to say a big thank you to the Soane's Museum and to the judges for selecting me for this award; it was a lovely surprise. I was reflecting on it, thinking how great is that the judges choose a work associated with the social programme of architecture, especially in the messy political context it exists at the moment.”

“I am really pleased to have won the Soane Medal and delighted to be in the company of such an illustrious previous winners,” Barber added.

The Soane Medal was established in 2017 in memory of Sir John Soane. The Medal recognises architects, educators and critics who have made a major contribution to their field of practice and enriched the public understanding of architecture. The winner is selected annually by a panel of distinguished architects, critics and curators, led by former Trustee of Sir John Soane’s Museum, Sir David Chipperfield. The recipient delivers a lecture at the Museum, which is streamed live worldwide, and also receives a replica of the original gold medal the Architects of England awarded to Sir John Soane in 1835.

Watch the lecture by Peter Barber OBE at the Sir John Soane’s Museum.