Boston Architectural College (BAC) awarded Polish-American architect Daniel Libeskind, an international figure in architecture and urban design, an honorary doctorate at the college’s 2023 commencement, where he also delivered a speech
Libeskind joined an illustrious list of recent graduation speakers at BAC that includes architect Billie Tsien; Pritzker Prize winner Balkrishna Doshi; architect, William J. Bates; landscape architect and artist, Martha Schwartz; and BAC alum, Robert (Bob) J. Vila.
Libeskind established his architectural practice in Berlin, Germany in 1989 after winning the competition to build the Jewish Museum in Berlin. In February 2003, Studio Libeskind moved its headquarters to New York City when Libeskind was selected as the lead planner for the redevelopment of the World Trade Center. His extensive depth of work also includes the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester, the Denver Art Museum and the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto. Libeskind is currently working on several projects around the world, including the reimagined Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the site of the worst anti-Semitic attack in the US.
As Principal Design Architect of Studio Libeskind, Libeskind speaks extensively about architecture at universities and professional summits. In addition to having won numerous prizes and having his work exhibited in the main international museums, his architecture and ideas have been the subject of numerous articles and exhibitions, influencing the field of architecture and the development of cities and the culture His book, Edge of the orderdetailing his creative process, was published in 2018.
Founded in 1889, BAC is an internationally recognized spatial design institution with a diverse population of students and alumni from over 54 countries. The BAC offers undergraduate and postgraduate studies in architecture, interior and landscape architecture, design studies and offers certificates and continuing education courses.
“It is truly an honor to be invited as the Boston Architectural College commencement speaker and to receive an honorary degree,” says Libeskind. “At this time, starting a career in architecture offers great challenges and opportunities to address environmental concerns, climate change, income inequality and a variety of social problems that cannot be solved by technology alone. This will be an inspired generation of architects who can tackle these issues with the goal of making the world a better place to live in.”
