Announcing the Recipient of the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award

Ralph Johnson is a quintessential Chicagoan. He grew up on the South Side of Chicago, just down the street from Frank Lloyd Wright’s R.W. Evans House. Fascinated by the home and inspired by the rich architecture of the city, Johnson decided to become an architect. He started his career with a summer internship doing industrial architecture for Chicago’s famous stockyards. From the stockyards, Ralph went on to design some of the most iconic buildings in Chicago and around the world.

Johnson’s designs are driven by program, human need, and an unwavering commitment to the just, resilient, and livable city. These principles are especially evident in his Chicago projects. Deeply influenced by humanistic values, Johnson’s approach emphasizes process rather than a preconceived aesthetic.

Among Johnson’s most recent works with notable honors are:

• Northtown Library and Apartments; Chicago, IL
• Northwestern University Ryan Fieldhouse and Walter Athletics Center; Evanston, IL
• Rush University Campus Transformation Project; Chicago, IL
• Shanghai Natural History Museum; Shanghai, China
• Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum; Chicago, IL