The Alvar Aalto Medal – award rules and jury guidelines

RULES FOR THE AWARDING OF THE ALVAR AALTO MEDAL 6.6.2026

§1
The medal, named after and designed by academician Alvar Aalto, was established in 1967 to honour creative architectural work. The medal may be awarded to living individuals who have made a significant contribution to the field of creative architecture. Whenever possible, the medal will be awarded on Alvar Aalto’s birthday (March 3) or on some other significant anniversary, provided that the celebrations held on that occasion allow for the medal to be presented in a sufficiently dignified manner.

§ 2
Five affiliated organisations are responsible for awarding the Alvar Aalto Medal:

1.     Alvar Aalto Foundation

2.     Finnish Association of Architects

3.     City of Helsinki

4.     Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design / AD Museum Ltd

5.     Architectural Society

§ 3
The medal is awarded every three years. This practice may only be deviated from by a joint decision of the five affiliated organisations responsible for awarding the medal.

§ 4
The affiliated organisations

1.     A five-member medal committee is appointed for each three-year period, for which each affiliated organisation elects a representative from its executive board as well as a deputy. The meetings of the medal committee are convened by the Alvar Aalto Foundation.

2.     The affiliated organisations agree on publicity, the award ceremony, and the practical arrangements for related lectures and other public events for each three-year period.

3.     The Alvar Aalto Foundation is responsible for the project’s financial management and accounting.

4.     The Alvar Aalto Foundation is responsible for the storage of the medal mould and the cast medals.

 

§ 5
The medal committee

1.     The term of office of the medal committee begins following the award of the previous medal and ends with the award of the next one.

2.     During its own three-year period, the medal committee, together with the affiliated organisations, is responsible for the objectives regarding the awarding of the medal, practical arrangements and financial monitoring.

3.     The medal committee elects a chairperson from among its members and appoints a secretary for the project.

4.     The medal committee prepares its own operational and financial plan for its three-year period and has it approved by the affiliated organizations.

5.     The medal committee invites four to five members to serve on the jury that selects the medal recipient(s).

  • the members of the medal committee and the jury may not be the same persons. the members of the jury must broadly represent international expertise in their field.

6.     If the jury members cannot reach a consensus and a vote is required, each member of the medal committee has one vote and in the event of a tie the vote of the chairperson shall be decisive.

7.     The medal committee selects the chairperson of the jury.

8.     The medal committee elects the secretary of the jury.

9.     The medal committee convenes the jury’s constitutive meeting but must not participate in the jury’s work thereafter.

10.  The medal committee meets when necessary at the written invitation of the chairperson or one of the affiliated organisations mentioned in §2, but at least twice during its term of office.

§ 6
The jury

1.     The jury selects the medal recipient(s).

2.     The work of the jury begins at the constitutive meeting convened by the medal committee.

3.     The jury has a quorum for matters considering the recipient(s) of the medal and other matters if at least the chairperson and two (2) other members are represented at the meeting.

4.     In the event of a tie, the chairperson’s vote shall be decisive.

5.     Minutes shall be kept of the meetings. The decision regarding the recipient(s) of the medal, together with the justification for the decision, shall also be recorded in the medal book provided for that purpose, in which the recipient(s) shall also write their name. The medal book and the minutes of the meetings, as well as other material regarding the meetings, shall be retained in the possession of the Alvar Aalto Foundation.

§ 7
These rules may be amended upon a proposal of the medal committee and by unanimous decision of all affiliated organisations.

Alvar Aalto Foundation
Finnish Association of Architects
City of Helsinki
Foundation for the Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design / AD Museum Ltd
Architectural Society

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