Douglas Joseph Cardinal (born March 7, 1934, Calgary, Alberta) is a Canadian architect.

Born in Alberta of Métis and Blackfoot heritage, Cardinal is famous for flowing architecture marked with smooth lines, influenced by his Aboriginal heritage.

In 1953 he attended the University of British Columbia; he later attended the University of Texas at Austin, from which he graduated with a degree in Architecture in 1963.

Professional life

Among the many projects Cardinal has completed in his career are the following:

• Alberta Pavilion, Expo '86, Vancouver, British Columbia;
• Leighton Artist Colony, Banff, Alberta;
• Grande Prairie Regional College, Grande Prairie, Alberta
• Sacred Heart Church, Terrace, British Columbia;
• St. Mary's Church, Red Deer, Alberta.
• Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec, near Ottawa, Canada

He was also mostly responsible for the design of the National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

Awards

Cardinal has received many awards and honours for his work, such as the Canada Council Molson Prize for the Arts in 1992, the National Aboriginal Achievement Award in 1995, and the Caledonian Prize Lectureship in Edinburgh in 1997. In 1990, he was made an officer of the Order of Canada.