Architects, professors, and students celebrate the life and legacy of Léon Krier
Notre Dame’s Walsh School of Architecture hosted a conference and exhibition in honor of late architect Léon Krier on November 23-25. The two-day conference, held in the Morris Inn, invited speakers from all over the world to speak on Krier’s life and legacy.
Léon Krier (1946-2025) was a prominent Luxembourgish urbanist and architect, particularly known for his advocacy for classical building styles and traditional urbanism. Krier served as a visiting professor for Notre Dame in 2002 and was the inaugural laureate of the School of Architecture’s Driehaus Prize in 2003. His other accolades include the Jefferson Memorial Gold Medal, the Berlin Prize for Architecture, the Chicago American Institute of Architects Award, and the European Culture Prize. Krier’s most renowned accomplishments include an extension of Guatemala City, Cayalá. Additionally, at the behest of then-Prince Charles III, Krier designed Poundbury, an extension to the city of Dorchester in Dorset, UK.
The University of Notre Dame acquired the Leon Krier Library and Archives in 2014, adding nearly 8,000 volumes to its architecture library. In response to the announcement, Krier wrote, “For me the School of Architecture of Notre Dame is quite simply the foremost architectural and urban teaching instrument in the world. I couldn’t dream of a better home for my books and archives. Notre Dame is the unique place where my academic interests and life endeavors have found an echo and expert following.”
When Krier passed away in June of 2025, the School of Architecture wrote, “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our dearest friend, master, colleague—and so much more—Léon Krier. One of the most brilliant and lucid minds devoted to the study and defense of classical thought, whose tireless efforts transformed the way we understand urbanism and architecture—a vision that, without a doubt, holds the power to help save the world. His life was a testament to intellectual coherence and moral elegance.”
The conference began on Sunday evening with a Mass celebrated by university president Father Robert Dowd, C.S.C. in honor of Krier. Greek architect Demetri Porphyrios delivered the Monday keynote speech, followed by other lectures from Krier’s collaborators, John Simpson, Maria Sanchez, and Pedro Godoy. John Simpson was the architect of the Walsh Family Hall of Architecture, completed in 2018. The day concluded with speeches from School of Architecture Associate Professor Lucien Steil and the Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs Samir Younes.
First year graduate student Cristian Fernandez told the Rover, “I think that the conference was a great summary and an introduction of the life of one of the most important urbanists … in the last century.” He continued, “[The conference] introduced his ideas, not only from the intellectual academic side, but emotional side, how he affected the world, not only with his great prowess, architectural theories, and urbanism, but also how he affected the world through being a great man.”
Adam Cook, a local urban planner from Ann Arbor, Michigan, reflected on Krier’s importance to future architects, “[W]e have to pick up the torch from a genius in the field of architecture, urbanism, and urban design and move that work forward. [We have to] transmit that through multiple generations. I think this really laid the groundwork for memorializing Léon and establishing where his body of work lies.”
Benedict Althoff is a freshman studying architecture at Notre Dame. On powder days, you can catch him on the chairlift between runs at balthoff@nd.edu.
Photo Credit: Carl Laubin, 2002
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