Chinese architect Liu Jiakun has been awarded the 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize, the most prestigious honor in the field. As the founder of Jiakun Architects (established in 1999), Liu is recognized for seamlessly integrating traditional Chinese elements with contemporary design while emphasizing social equity in the built environment. Born and based in Chengdu, he becomes the second Chinese architect to receive this accolade after Wang Shu in 2012. He joins a distinguished group of past laureates, including Riken Yamamoto (2024), David Chipperfield (2023), and Francis Kéré (2022). The award ceremony will take place at the Jean Nouvel-designed Louvre Abu Dhabi this spring, with a global video release in the fall, followed by the 2025 Laureates’ Lecture and Symposium in May.
Liu Jiakun’s work transcends stylistic limitations, employing adaptive strategies to create spaces that foster both community and individual experiences. His designs introduce a sense of openness within dense urban environments, incorporating cultural, historical, and natural elements to establish a deep connection with their surroundings. He embraces raw materials and imperfections, ensuring that his architecture reflects both process and authenticity.
Liu’s career took an unconventional path. After earning his Bachelor of Engineering in Architecture from Chongqing University in 1982, he participated in rebuilding post-revolution China, including a significant period in Tibet (1984–1986). In 1993, after contemplating leaving architecture, a solo exhibition by his classmate Tang Hua rekindled his passion, leading him to engage deeply with artists and writers while refining his architectural philosophy. He established Jiakun Architects in 1999.
Beyond architecture, Liu Jiakun is a prolific writer, exploring themes of utopia, human experience, and narrative in design. His works, such as The Conception of Brightmoon (2014) and Narrative Discourse and Low-Tech Strategy (1997), highlight his commitment to integrating human stories into architecture.
His philosophy rejects binary oppositions like history vs. modernity or collectivism vs. individualism, instead crafting spaces that enrich everyday life by blending these elements. This is evident in projects such as the Songyang Three-Temple Cultural Communication Center, which prioritizes human-centered design to foster a sense of belonging.
Liu Jiakun also redefines urban density, demonstrating that high-population areas can still retain openness. His Xicun Compound in Chengdu, for example, integrates pedestrian and cycling paths within a five-story building spanning an entire city block, while the Sculpture Department Building at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute optimizes space through innovative cantilevering.
His work challenges conventional urban planning by merging architecture, infrastructure, landscape, and public space into unified environments. Jury Chairman Alejandro Aravena praises Liu for offering innovative solutions to the challenges of urbanization in rapidly growing cities.
Liu Jiakun’s approach also emphasizes material honesty, often utilizing local and recycled materials, such as repurposing rubble from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake for new structures. His projects, including the Novartis Building and the Hu Huishan Memorial, reflect his philosophy of “building for the community, by the community.”
Spanning over four decades, Liu Jiakun’s diverse body of work includes cultural, academic, and commercial projects, with notable contributions to urban planning. His designs have been showcased in prestigious exhibitions such as the Venice Biennale and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale. A visiting professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, he has also lectured at institutions like MIT and the Royal College of Art.
The jury recognized Liu Jiakun for his profound understanding of place, his sustainable approach to density, and his ability to empower communities by merging tradition with modernity. His ability to elevate local architectural solutions into universal visions and create a socially and environmentally just architectural language has led to his selection as the 2025 Pritzker Prize Laureate.
Cities often divide their functions into separate zones, but Liu Jiakun takes a different approach by seamlessly integrating multiple aspects of urban life. In a world where monotonous urban peripheries are becoming the norm, he creates spaces that function as architecture, infrastructure, landscape, and public areas simultaneously. His work provides valuable insights into tackling the challenges of rapid urbanization.
To highlight the processes involved in architecture and the passage of time, Liu avoids polished surfaces and refined finishes, instead embracing raw textures and natural imperfections. His buildings develop a distinctive patina over time, reflecting their history and surroundings. He prioritizes the use of locally sourced and recycled materials—for instance, debris from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake was repurposed into sturdy bricks for projects like the Novartis Building and the Xicun Compound. This philosophy, based on the idea of “building for the community, building by the community,” extends to smaller projects as well, such as the Hu Huishan Memorial, where the rough texture of the cement relief holds both symbolic and structural significance.
With a career spanning four decades, Liu Jiakun has worked on diverse projects across China, ranging from academic and cultural buildings to commercial developments and urban planning. His notable works include the Clock Museum at the Jianchuan Museum Settlement, the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute’s design department building, and the Cultural Communication Center of the Three Temples of Songyang. He also designed the first Serpentine Pavilion outside London, located near Beijing’s Forbidden City. His work has been internationally recognized, exhibited at major events such as the Venice Biennale and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale, and awarded honors like the Far East Architecture Award and the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award. He currently serves as a visiting professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts and has lectured at institutions including MIT and the Royal College of Art.
Urban development often faces a conflict: while high density is a sustainable way to accommodate growing populations, it can also compromise quality of life. Liu reimagines urban density through shared and adaptable spaces, ensuring that crowded environments do not feel restrictive. His West Village project in Chengdu introduces new communal living models, demonstrating that density does not have to mean a lack of openness. His architecture evolves with the people who use it, allowing for expansion, flexibility, and long-term adaptability.
For Liu, identity is rooted in both personal memory and collective heritage. He draws from traditional Chinese architecture, not as a nostalgic reference but as a foundation for innovation. His projects, such as the Suzhou Museum of Imperial Kiln Brick and the Shuijingfang Museum in Chengdu, serve as historical records while simultaneously functioning as infrastructure, landscape, and public spaces. In the Hu Huishan Memorial, he transforms individual memory into a key element of placemaking, reviving a sense of shared history and community.
Liu does not strictly adhere to either high-tech or low-tech construction methods; instead, he seeks an “appropriate” level of technology based on local expertise, materials, and craftsmanship. Since his early works, he has broken away from conventional architectural language, emphasizing simplicity and efficiency. His honest use of materials allows them to retain their natural character without unnecessary modifications, ensuring durability and authenticity while preserving the collective memory embedded within them.
Liu integrates natural landscapes into his designs, following the principles of ancient Chinese philosophy. His projects, such as the Renovation of Tianbao Cave District in Luzhou and the Luyeyuan Stone Sculpture Art Museum in Chengdu, establish a seamless relationship between built structures and their surroundings. Through his work, natural and architectural elements coexist in harmony, reinforcing the connection between people and their environment.
By embracing both the utopian and dystopian aspects of contemporary architecture, Liu Jiakun demonstrates how design can mediate between reality and idealism. His ability to transform local architectural solutions into globally relevant concepts—while advocating for social and environmental justice—has earned him the 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize.
