Miami-based architect Germane Barnes has won the prestigious Harvard Graduate School of Design’s 2021 Wheelwright Prize. The architectural honour has been awarded to support Chicago-born Barnes' research proposal Anatomical Transformations in Classical Architecture, ‘an examination of classical Roman and Italian architecture through contributions of the African Diaspora.'
The Wheelwright Prize is a grant to ‘support investigative approaches to contemporary architecture', and has an emphasis on research and an international approach. Barnes' work is a perfect fit, exploring Roman and Italian architecture – but from the point of view of non-white contributors, and in particular the role of the African Diaspora. The announcement comes with a prize of 100,000 USD towards Barnes' travel and expenses, while doing his research.
Germane Barnes has won the 2021 Wheelwright Prize
‘The past year has shown the world that marginalised communities offer more than a cursory look, but a thorough excavation of their contributions and legacies,' says Barnes. ‘As a Black architect I have struggled with the absence of my identity in the profession, and there have been moments where I have questioned my talent and ideologies because they failed to gain recognition in prominent architecture circles. To believe that the only way to measure success is acceptance was a thought I had to exterminate.'
This Prize will allow him to pave the way in original and in-depth research that will bring in new and previously unrecognised voices in architectural history, something the school recognised. ‘Harvard GSD is proud and honored to award the 2021 Wheelwright Prize to Germane Barnes for a research proposal that is at once sweeping and nuanced,' says Harvard GSD’s dean and Josep Lluís Sert professor of architecture Sarah M. Whiting.
Barnes was selected among four finalists and more than 150 applicants. He is set to embark upon his research project this summer.
Barnes Thesis Photo 2 By Jennifer Bonner
Dark Mode. Photography: Blair Reid Jr
Sacred Stoops. Photography: Raw
A Spectrum Of Blackness. Photography: MoMA
Pop Up Porch. Photography: Germane Barnes
INFORMATION
-
Colleen Allen’s poetic womenswear is made for the modern-day witchAllen is one of New York’s brightest young fashion stars. As part of Wallpaper’s Uprising column, Orla Brennan meets the American designer to talk femininity, witchcraft and the transformative experience of dressing up
-
A new Korean garden reimagines tradition for the 21st centuryThe new Médongaule Korean Gardens in Gyeonggi Province explore the country’s rich tradition; within it, the Seongok Academy Building provides a layered spatial experience drawing on heritage and a connection with nature
-
Ten out-of-this-world design exhibitions to see in 2026From contemporary grandes dames to legends past, and ‘non-human’ design: here are ten design exhibitions we’re looking forward to seeing in 2026
-
A group of friends built this California coastal home, rooted in nature and modern designNestled in the Sea Ranch community, a new coastal home, The House of Four Ecologies, is designed to be shared between friends, with each room offering expansive, intricate vistas
-
The RIBA Asia Pacific Awards reward impactful, mindful architecture – here are the winnersThe 2025 RIBA Asia Pacific Awards mark the accolade’s first year – and span from sustainable mixed-use towers to masterplanning and housing
-
Step inside this resilient, river-facing cabin for a life with ‘less stuff’A tough little cabin designed by architects Wittman Estes, with a big view of the Pacific Northwest's Wenatchee River, is the perfect cosy retreat
-
RIBA House of the Year 2025 is a ‘rare mixture of sensitivity and boldness’Topping the list of seven shortlisted homes, Izat Arundell’s Hebridean self-build – named Caochan na Creige – is announced as the RIBA House of the Year 2025
-
Remembering Robert A.M. Stern, an architect who discovered possibility in the pastIt's easy to dismiss the late architect as a traditionalist. But Stern was, in fact, a design rebel whose buildings were as distinctly grand and buttoned-up as his chalk-striped suits
-
A revived public space in Aberdeen is named Scotland’s building of the yearAberdeen's Union Terrace Gardens by Stallan-Brand Architecture + Design and LDA Design wins the 2025 Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award
-
Own an early John Lautner, perched in LA’s Echo Park hillsThe restored and updated Jules Salkin Residence by John Lautner is a unique piece of Californian design heritage, an early private house by the Frank Lloyd Wright acolyte that points to his future iconic status
-
The Stahl House – an icon of mid-century modernism – is for sale in Los AngelesAfter 65 years in the hands of the same family, the home, also known as Case Study House #22, has been listed for $25 million
