The National Portrait Gallery was the toast of the ACT Architecture Awards, winning the territory's highest architecture prize.

The gallery won the Romaldo Giurgola Award for Public Architecture, the Light in Architecture Prize and the prestigious Canberra Medallion. Chief Minister Jon Stanhope presented the medallion to architecture firm Johnson Pilton Walker.

''The Canberra Medallion is only awarded if there is a project the jury considers worthy, and is the highest that can be given at the ACT Architecture Awards,'' MrStanhope said.

Jury chairwoman Bronwen Jones said the gallery was ''arguably one of the most significant public places in Australia''.

Fender Katsalidis Architects won the Art in Architecture award for the NewActon East Penthouse, in collaboration with Nectar Efkarpidis, Pamille Berg, ''Byrd'' Dan Maginnity and Robin Blau.

''Innovation in public architecture is crucial to meeting the economic, environmental and social challenges we face, and the projects nominated ... are striving to meet these challenges,'' Mr Stanhope said.