Jeanne Gang

Architect and Founding Partner of Studio Gang, Jeanne Gang, FAIA, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Architecture.

Gang will give a public talk to mark the occasion on April 14 at 3:30 p.m. in Newcomb Theater. This is not a ticketed event, and is free and open to all. 

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medals – sponsored jointly by the University of Virginia and the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, the nonprofit organization that owns and operates Monticello – are awarded each year to recognize the achievements of those who embrace endeavors in which Jefferson – author of the Declaration of Independence, third U.S. president and founder of the University of Virginia – excelled and held in high regard. The architecture medal and its counterparts in law, citizen leadership, and global innovation are UVA’s highest external honors.

Gang joins a distinguished list of past recipients of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Architecture, including Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, I.M. Pei, Frank Gehry, Toyo Ito, Zaha Hadid, Francis Kéré, Andrew Freear, Kate Orff and Walter J. Hood.  

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About the Medalist

Globally recognized as a pre-eminent architect, widely known for her work in the public and cultural realm as well as in urban environments, Jeanne Gang founded Studio Gang in 1997 in Chicago, Illinois. Over nearly three decades, she has led the international architecture and urban design practice’s growth from its Chicago roots to also include offices in New York, San Francisco, and Paris. Her inquisitive, forward-looking approach to design—unique in its pursuit of new technical and material possibilities as well as in its expansion of the active role of designers in society—has distinguished her as a leading architect of her generation.

Known for a distinctive design approach that expands beyond architecture’s conventional boundaries, she creates striking places that strengthen connections between people, their communities, and nature. Her diverse portfolio across the Americas and Europe includes the Gilder Center at the American Museum of Natural History; a new United States Embassy in Brazil; and an expansion of the Clinton Presidential Center. A MacArthur Fellow and the Kajima Professor in Practice of Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Jeanne has been named one of TIME Magazine’s most influential people in the world.

Directions + Parking

The lecture is held in Newcomb Theater. The theater is on the Lower Level of the building.

Parking is available at the Central Grounds Parking Garage, located directly underneath the University Bookstore at 400 Emmet Street South. This garage offers hourly, paid visitor parking and is a short walk to Newcomb Hall. 

More parking details are available here.

Walking directions to Newcomb Hall from Central Ground Garage: 
1. Exit the Garage: Park and take the stairs or elevator to the top level (Level 4).
2. Locate the Pedestrian Bridge: Exit towards the bookstore side of the building.
3. Head toward Newcomb: Walk across the pedestrian bridge/walkway that leads directly to the interior of Central Grounds.
4. Arrive at Newcomb Hall: Newcomb Hall is located immediately in front of or just to the left of you upon exiting the upper-level walkway, near the amphitheater.
5. Newcomb Theater Entrance: The vestibule entrance to the theater is directly to the left of the main entrance of Newcomb Hall (Level 1 - see Floor plan for Newcomb's Level 1), accessed from the exterior of the building. The theater is located one level below the main entrance on the building's "Lower Level." Enter at the theater vestibule and take the stairs or elevator down one level. Floor plan of Newcomb's Lower Level.