Harmony between buildings and nature will be the focus of an exhibition to celebrate one of Australia’s most influential architects in Sydney.

The Glenn Murcutt: Architecture for Place exhibition opens on 13 June at the Museum of Sydney to recognise the artist’s contribution to more than 500 buildings spanning nearly 40 years.

Murcutt’s designs are celebrated for their focus on sustainability of the natural environment, harmony with nature and resonance with Australia’s diverse climate and topography.

Renowned for his inclination to draw by hand, Murcutt has received numerous national and international awards, including the 2002 Pritzker prize and 2009 American Institute of Architects Gold Medal.

“By drawing, one understands the brief, the budget, the site, and all the factors of the environment in which a building dwells,” he said. “The hand arrives at solutions before the mind is able to comprehend them.”

Murcutt likens architecture to paths of discovery and creative process and says buildings are like instruments that respond to light, air and movement.

“The light, the sound and the air are already there. I just make buildings that allow people to sense them," he said.

The exhibition will showcase enlargements of Murcutt’s drawings from various stages of the design process to trace the journey of creation and his creative process.

Glenn Murcutt will introduce the exhibit alongside a number of other artists at the Museum of Sydney on 10 July. The exhibit will continue until 05 October 2009.