1979 in architecture

The year 1979 involved some significant events in architecture.

Buildings

• March - Kuwait Towers opened in Kuwait City with a Viewing Sphere which completes a full turn every 30 minutes.
• October 10 - The Atheneum, designed by Richard Meier, opened as a visitor center in New Harmony, Indiana.
• September 2 - Prabhupada's Palace of Gold dedicated in Marshall County, West Virginia as a memorial shrine built by Hare Krishna devotees.
• Parque Central Complex, the tallest building in South America, completed in Caracas, Venezuela.
• The Tower of Europe in Frankfurt am Main, Germany is completed.
• Vienna International Centre completed for the United Nations Office at Vienna.
• Rio de Janeiro Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro) completed, with 64 meter (210 ft) tall stained glass windows.

Events

• December - The Twentieth Century Society established as The Thirties Society in the United Kingdom as an architectural conservation pressure group.
• Pritzker Prize instituted by Jay A. Pritzker.
• Construction begins at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center designed by I. M. Pei.
• Xanadu House design started.

Awards

• American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal – I. M. Pei.
• AIA Gold Medal - I. M. Pei.
• Architecture Firm Award - Geddes Brecher Qualls Cunningham.
• Grand prix national de l'architecture - Claude Parent.
• Pritzker Prize - Philip Johnson.
• RAIA Gold Medal - Bryce Mortlock.
• RIBA Royal Gold Medal - Charles and Ray Eames.
• Twenty-five Year Award - Yale University Art Gallery.

Births

Deaths

• October 11 - Roger Hayward (born 1899)