戴念慈（1920~1991），江苏省无锡市锡山区东港镇陈墅村人。建筑设计大师，1991年当选中国科学院院士（学部委员）。
1920年4月2日生于江苏省无锡市。1938年秋考入中央大学建筑系，1942年毕业，获工学士学位后留该系任助教，1944年至1948年在重庆、上海兴业建筑师事务所任建筑师。历任中央建筑工程设计院主任工程师和总建筑师、国家城乡建设环境保护部副部长、中国建筑学会理长等职，第四至六届全国人大代表。
念慈设计的大部分作品获得1994年评选的中国建筑学会优秀设计奖;阙里宾舍获建设部1986年颁发的全国优秀建筑设计一等奖、金瓦当奖及中国建筑学会颁发的最优秀建筑设计奖；
斯里兰卡国际会议大厦荣获1988年全国科学技术协会优秀工程奖、建设部优秀设计一等奖；
获建设部颁发的金质奖，并于1989年第一批被授予“设计大师”称号，成为继梁思成、杨廷宝等元老之后我国第二代建筑设计师中的杰出代表。
戴念慈从小聪明好学，以优异的成绩毕业于苏州中学。1938年考入中央大学（重庆）建筑工程系，毕业后留校任教。两年后，他进入兴业建筑事务所工作。抗战胜利后，他又随事务所来到上海。当时上海当局为纪念抗战胜利准备在外滩与爱多亚路（今延安东路）交汇处建造一座“胜利门”，并为此举办一个设计方案大赛。戴念慈也参加了这一大赛。在应征的众多方案中，大都采用了中国牌楼式或国外凯旋门式，而戴念慈的设计方案则与众不同，以树立在马路两旁的一对展翅欲飞的大雕雕像，既象征中国抗战的胜利和预示着中国的腾飞，又避免了“门”给车辆交通带来的不便，构思独特，富有新意，一鸣惊人，夺得桂冠。戴念慈从此在建筑界崭露头角，脱颖而出。
新中国成立后，经梁思成推荐，戴念慈被调到北京，担任中央直属机关修建办事处设计室主任。在短短的3年时间里，设计室承担了数十项工程设计任务，例如中直机关礼堂、保育院、育英学校、香山双清别墅、中南海菊香书屋等，这众多工程大都由他负责设计、审定。
建国初期，朱德同志在审阅育英学校的设计方案时提出“设计要从新中国的国情出发，贯彻勤俭建国的方针。”戴念慈根据这一建设方针，提出了“适用、经济、美观”的主张，上报中央办公厅。到1955年初，建工部明确“适用、经济、美观”正式定为全国性民用建筑的指导方针，在中国建筑设计史上写下了浓重的一笔。
1953年5月，戴念慈担任中央建筑工程设计院主任工程师和总建筑师。1955年，他加入了中国共产党，从1982年起，他担任国家城乡建设环境保护部副部长、部党组成员，是第四、五、六届全国人大代表，1991年当选为中国科学院院士（学部委员）。
1988年，他从领导岗位上退了下来，仍担任建设部特邀顾问、建设部科学技术委员会顾问、中国建筑学会理事长等职。
1991年11月12日，建筑大师戴念慈因病于北京逝世，享年71岁。

Dai Nianci (1920~1991) , jiangsu province does not have stannic city stannum a mountainous area east harbor presses down person of old villa village. The building designs a Great Master, was elected as academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences 1991 (the member that learn ministries and commissions) .
Was born at Jiangsu to visit the town that do not have stannum on April 2, 1920. 1938 autumn taking an examination of central university to build is, graduated 1942, this department stays to hold the post of assistant after the baccalaureate that win project, came to promoted office of architect of course of study to hold the post of architect in Chongqing, Shanghai 1948 1944. Have successively held the posts of engineer of head of designing institute of central construction project and total architect, country meeting manage grows architecture of undersecretary of ministry of environmental protection of urban and rural construction, China wait for duty, national People's Congress of 6 whole nations represents the four boundaries of a piece of land or a construction site.
Guest of Que Li of; of award of can excellent design abandons the Chinese architecture that work obtains the much of design reading aloud kind to was chosen 1994 what award of the first prize of design of countrywide fine architecture that wins construction ministry to was issued 1986, gold eaves tile and Chinese architecture can issue is best;
Edifice of conference of sri lanka international is had the honor to win association of countrywide science and technology is outstanding 1988 ministry of project award, construction is outstanding design first prize;
Win the golden qualitative award that construction ministry issues, and 1989 the first batch is awarded " design Great Master " title, after becoming the founding member such as afterwards Liang Saicheng, Yang Tingbao, the 2nd generation of our country builds the crackajack delegate in stylist.
Dai Nianci from petty trick academic, be graduated from Suzhou middle school with outstanding achievement. Took an examination of central university 1938 (Chongqing) construction project is, stay after graduation school teach. After two years, he enters job of office of the building that start line of business. After war of resistance against aggression wins, he comes to Shanghai along with the office again. Shanghai authorities fights conquer benefit to prepare outer beach and Aiduoya for souvenir at that time road (today Yan'an east road) hand in collect place build " triumphal door " , hold contest of program of a design for this. Dai Nianci also entered this one contest. In the numerous plan of be recruited, used Chinese pailou type or foreign triumphant arch formula mostly, and design program of Dai Nianci criterion extraordinary, in order to establish a pair in driveway both sides volant the big carve that is about to fly is statuary, symbolize already of the victory of Chinese war of resistance against aggression and adumbrative China fly, avoided again " the door " the inconvenience that brings to car traffic, conception is distinctive, be full of new idea, amaze the people with a single brilliant feat, carry off laurel. Dai Nianci cuts a figure in construction group from now on, show itself.
After new China holds water, recommend via Liang Saicheng, dai Nianci is moved to Beijing, hold the position of a department under the Party Central Committee to build director of agency drawing office. In 3 years of short time, drawing office assumed several decathlon project to design the job, for example in school of straight mechanism auditorium, nursery school, Yo flower, sweet Shan Shuangqing is villatic, medium Nanhai chrysanthemum sweet bookstore, this numerous much project is in charge of by him mostly design, authorized.
Found a state earlier, comrade Zhu De in check and approve the design of Yo flower school puts forward when plan " the design wants anew Chinese national condition sets out, implement the policy that hardworking and thrifty founds a state. " Dai Nianci builds policy according to this, put forward " applicable, economy, beautiful " view, report central general office. Arrive at the beginning of 1955, build the Ministry of Works in feudal China to make clear " applicable, economy, beautiful " it is guidelines of national civil architectural formally surely, the brushstroke that dense wrote down on design history is built in China.
In May 1953, dai Nianci holds the position of engineer of head of designing institute of project of the construction central and total architect. 1955, he joined a Chinese Communist, since 1982, he holds the position of a country member of leading Party group of undersecretary of ministry of environmental protection of urban and rural construction, department, be the 4th, 5, delegate of National People's Congress of 6 whole nations, was elected 1991 for academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (the member that learn ministries and commissions) .
1988, he was retreated from leadership post, still hold the position of ministry of adviser of construction ministry specially invite, construction architecture of adviser of committee of science and technology, China meets a director to wait for duty.
On November 12, 1991, dai Nianci of building Great Master dies at Beijing due to illness, die at the age of is 71 years old.