Peter Eisenman and Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney to Accept Kanter Tritsch Medal and Witte-Sakamoto Family Medal at December 2 Virtual Event
Philadelphia—On Wednesday, December 2, 6:00pm EST, the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design will honor Peter Eisenman as the 2020 recipient of the Kanter Tritsch Medal in Architecture, and the City of Philadelphia as the 2020 recipient of the Witte-Sakamoto Family Medal in City and Regional Planning for GreenPlan Philadelphia. A celebration of emerging and established leaders in design, the virtual event is also the School’s most important annual fundraiser for student scholarships.
Peter Eisenman is an internationally recognized architect and educator who is best known for large-scale housing and urban design projects, innovative facilities for educational institutions, and inventive private houses. He is also the author of numerous influential writings, including the new collection of essays Lateness, with Elisa Iturbe (Princeton University Press, 2020). Developed by WRT for the City of Philadelphia in 2011, GreenPlan has helped inform a variety of active programs in Philadelphia today, including Greenworks Philadelphia, Tree Philly, Green City, Clean Waters and more.
The evening will bring together Eisenman, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, and scholarship recipients Paul Germaine McCoy and Avery Harmon, in a series of lively conversations about the role of architects as agents for change and the promise of green infrastructure in creating healthier, more equitable and climate-resilient cities. Eisenman will speak with Winka Dubbeldam, Miller Professor and chair of architecture at Weitzman, followed by a conversation between Mayor Kenney, former Philadelphia Managing Director Michael DiBerardinis, and WRT Senior Associate Garlen Capita, led by Lisa Servon, the Kevin and Erica Penn Presidential Professor and chair of city and regional planning.
The Kanter Tritsch Medal in Architecture was established in 2017 to recognize an architect who has changed the course of design history through a gift from Penn alumna Lori Kanter Tritsch (MArch’85), a member of the Board of Overseers at Weitzman, and her partner and fellow Penn alumnus William P. Lauder, who holds a bachelor of science in economics from the Wharton School and is a Penn trustee.
The Witte-Sakamoto Family Medal in City and Regional Planning was established in 2018 by William Witte (C’73, MCP’75), an alumnus of the Weitzman School and member of the Board of Overseers, and his wife, Keiko Sakamoto, Esq. to recognize a firm, team, or professional for an exemplary plan that advances plan making.
In concert with the professional medalists, the Weitzman School has selected two outstanding students entering their final year of study to receive a $50,000 scholarship each for the 2020-2021 Academic Year. The recipient of the 2020 Kanter Tritsch Prize in Energy and Architectural Innovation is Paul Germaine McCoy, whose work is deeply invested in design questions about time, aesthetics, history, and the environment. The recipient of the 2020 Witte-Sakamoto Family Prize in City and Regional Planning is Avery Harmon, whose work explores potential solutions to improve the lives of African Americans through the built environment.
Admission to the event is free and open to the public, though advance registration online is required.
