We already know who is the winner of the prestigious Pritzker Prize, called (not without citation!) the architectural Nobel Prize. In 2025, it is Chinese architect Liu Jiakun!
Liu Jiakun, born in 1956 in Chengdu, did not initially plan a career as an architect. Growing up surrounded by doctors, he was interested in art and literature, which eventually led him to study architecture at Chongqing University.
Novartis (Shanghai) Block - C6
©Arch-Exist
After graduating in 1982, he worked at the state-owned Chengdu Institute of Architectural Design and Research, and lived and worked in Tibet from 1984 to 1986. For a long time he balanced between architecture and literary work, almost abandoning his profession, until a landmark visit to an exhibition by his university friend Tang Hua in 1993 reignited his passion for design. The transformative experience led the architect to realize that the built environment could serve as a means of individual expression.
Novartis (Shanghai) Block - C6
© Arch-Exist
In 1999, he founded Jiakun Architects in Chengdu, focusing on architecture grounded in tradition but open to innovation. His philosophy is that buildings should blend harmoniously with their surroundings, "like water permeating a space." In his architectural practice, he relies on the use of local materials, created through the use of traditional craftsmanship, while rejecting mass-produced building materials.
His sincere architecture shows the authenticity of the textures of the materials used, exposing imperfections that last over time instead of degrading.
The jury of the prestigious 2025 Pritzker Prize highlighted its ability to blend history, infrastructure and public space into a cohesive whole.
Shuijingfang Museum
© Jiakun Architects
The architect's major projects include the West Village project in Chengdu, the Shuijingfang Museum, the Imperial Brick Museum in Suzhou, and the Hu Huishan Memorial and Luyeyuan Stone Sculpture Museum.
Shuijingfang Museum
© Arch-Exist
jury rationale
The built environment is often torn apart by contradictory forces. On the one hand, building density seems more sustainable, while on the other hand, it is often associated with a reduction in quality of life. Liu Jiakun redefines the concept of density through the idea of co-housing, creating smart solutions that balance these opposing forces. With projects like the West Village in Chengdu, he is transforming the model of public spaces and community life. He proposes new independent yet communal ways of living, where density is not the opposite of openness. His architecture allows adaptation, development and replication of proven solutions. Liu Jiakun's projects come alive through the people who inhabit and use them.
-reads an excerpt from the justification of the Pritzker Prize 2025 Jury.
Liu Jiakun was also recognized for the relevance of the solutions used, without being pigeonholed as an architect using modern technological solutions or vernacular practices:
Liu Jiakun seeks technology that is neither advanced nor primitive, but "appropriate" - based on local knowledge, available materials and craftsmanship. From his earliest projects, he has avoided the formal languages in force in architecture, introducing simplicity derived from available resources. His sincerity in the use of materials allows them to speak for themselves, without the need for additional mediation or maintenance. This allows them to age naturally, preserving the collective memory recorded in their structure.
The Imperial Brick Museum in Suzhou
© Liu Jian
The jury of the competition quoted its verdict stating:
For its ability to mediate between dystopia and utopia, for showing how architecture can balance reality and idealism, for elevating local solutions to a universal vision, and for developing a language to describe a socially and environmentally just world, Liu Jiakun was named the winner of the 2025 Pritzker Prize.
West Village in Chengdu
© Arch-Exist
Pritzker Prize
The Pritzker Prize is one of the most prestigious honors in the world of architecture. Established in 1979 by Jay A. Pritzker and his wife Cindy, it honors individuals whose work has had a significant impact on the development of world architecture. The Pritzker Prize is awarded for lifetime achievement to a living architect or design team. Winners and recipients of the award can expect to receive $100,000, a bronze medal and to be among a prestigious group of male and female creators, such as Philip Johnson, James Stirling, Kenzō Tange, Renzo Piano, Zaha Hadid or Farrell Yvonne and Shelley McNamara.
West Village in Chengdu
© Qian Shen Photography
Potential candidates and nominees are selected from among the most highly regarded, active architects - applications are accepted until October of each year preceding the award. The Hyatt Foundation is responsible for organizing and awarding the prize, and each year it appoints a judging panel made up of some of the greatest specialists in the field.
