Thirteen is Lucky Number for Gene Mackey III

Eugene (Gene) Mackey III, architect, artist, mentor,  scholar and dedicated St. Louisan was recognized Sept. 18 with the St. Louis Chapter, American Insitute of Architects' Gold Honor Award.

Mackey, presented with the award at a ceremony at the Missouri Botanical Garden by Chapter President  Sara Tetley, was the only 13th recipient of the award in its 25-year history. The Botantical Garden is the site of some of Mackey's most notable designs. During the presentation Peter Raven,  director of the garden, acknowledged Mackey's contributions. 

His father, Eugene Mackey Jr., was a prominent St. Louis architect, who with his partner, Joseph Murphy, designed the Botanical Garden's Climatron, in collaboration with R. Buckminster Fuller, who advanced the notion of using geodesic domes as greenhouses.

In accepting the award Mackey acknowledged his upbringing  asthe driver behind  both his  passion for architecture and his commitment to the St. Louis community.

"Architecture and architects have been intrinsically woven into the history of our great city —from Geo I. Barnett through Charles Ramsey, William Ittner, Theodore Link, Louis La Beaume, Harris Armstrong, and Frederick Dunn," Mackey said in accepting  the honor   "We are the beneficiaries of their marvelous work and we carry on in their spirit.

"My life has been a wonderful journey filled with outstanding people and opportunities. My parents raised Ellen, John, and me to be very independent and address important issues.  My father always said to remember that the world of ideas was where we, as architects, could perform at our best and to draw, draw, draw.

"From the beginning, I viewed architecture in the broad framework of society as a whole, not only projects and buildings but also the larger community 'the architecture of cultural organizations and institutions'. That is why I've been so involved."

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