LEARN MORE
Read the official press release at Library of Congress, National Park Service Announce 2024 Holland Prize Winner.
Learn how you can participate in the 2025 Holland Prize at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/heritagedocumentation/holland-prize.htm
ABOUT THE COMPETITION
The Leicester B. Holland Prize is an annual competition that recognizes the best single-sheet measured drawing of a historic building, structure or site prepared to the standards of the National Park Service's Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP). The sheet may be prepared for the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), or Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS). The prize is supported by the Paul Rudolph Trust, the American Institute of Architects, and the Library of Congress's Center for Architecture, Design, and Engineering. The prize honors Leicester B. Holland (1882-1952), FAIA, chairman of the AIA's Committee on Historic Buildings, head of the Fine Arts Division of the Library of Congress, first curator of the HABS collection, co-founder of the HABS program in the 1930s, and the first chair of the HABS Advisory Board.
The prize serves multiple purposes. It is intended to increase awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of historic sites, structures, and landscapes throughout the United States. Prize entries add to the permanent HABS, HAER, and HALS collection at the Library of Congress. The prize also honors the art of architectural delineation and composition in the tradition established by the Ecole des Beaux Arts. Beaux Arts methodology embraced the study and drawing of historic buildings as a crucial component of architectural education, providing an opportunity for young architects to gain an understanding of the principles of design and construction. Additionally, Beaux Arts Methodology was a means through which architects mined historic buildings for architectural motifs to be used in their restoration and new design projects.
By requiring only a single sheet, the competition challenges the delineator to capture the essence of the site through the presentation of key features that reflect its historic and its architectural, landscape architectural or engineering significance. The Holland Prize competition is open to all those interested, regardless of experience or professional background.