Helmut Jahn, FAIA, president and CEO of Murphy/Jahn, will receive the AIA Chicago Lifetime Achievement Award on Oct. 26, during Designight, AIA Chicago's annual awards gala.

"Obviously, I am very honored and thankful to get this prestigious award," said Jahn. "More than for what I have achieved, I take it as a challenge to strive towards the future."

Jahn's designs, such as the recently completed Joe and Rika Mansueto Library on the University of Chicago campus, the James R. Thompson Center and the United Airlines Terminal at O'Hare International Airport have made a lasting impression on Chicago residents and visitors alike. His notable work outside of Chicago includes the Sony Center in Berlin, Germany; the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand; and the MGM-Veer Towers in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Jahn was born in Germany in 1940. In 1967, he won a Rotary fellowship that brought him to the Illinois Institute of Technology. That same year, Jahn started working at C.F. Murphy Associates and in 1983, Jahn became president and CEO of the firm, renaming it Murphy/Jahn.

"Helmut Jahn is an internationally influential Chicago architect," said Zurich Esposito, executive vice president of AIA Chicago. "His work is the focal point of contemporary urban environments around the world, and admired by architecture professionals and by the public in equal measure."

Established in 2006, the AIA Chicago Lifetime Achievement Award recipient is chosen by AIA Chicago's Board of Directors for distinguished service in architecture and design. Jahn will receive the award during Designight, featuring the 57th annual Design Excellence Awards. More than 900 leading architects, designers, contractors and their clients attend the event, which is open to the public. Tickets are available at www.aiachicago.org or by calling (312) 376-2725.