In a career that spans over four decades, architect Liu Jiakun has been named the 2025 Pritzker Prize winner, a testament to his profound impact on both the architectural landscape and the communities he serves. Born in 1956 in Chengdu, China, Liu's early life in the corridors of Chengdu Second People’s Hospital, where his mother worked as an internist, instilled in him a deep religious tolerance and a unique perspective on life, which he carries into his architectural ethos.
Despite his family’s medical background, Liu pursued a path in the creative arts, leading to his eventual acceptance into the Institute of Architecture and Engineering in Chongqing in 1978. This marked the beginning of a journey that would see him defy conventional career trajectories, intertwining his passions for literature and architecture in innovative ways.
Liu's architectural portfolio includes more than thirty significant projects, ranging from cultural institutions to urban planning initiatives across China. Notable among these is his design for the inaugural Serpentine Pavilion Beijing in 2018. His work is celebrated for its narrative quality and poetic integration, qualities he attributes to his dual background in writing and architecture.
“Architecture should reveal something—it should abstract, distill and make visible the inherent qualities of local people. It has the power to shape human behavior and create atmospheres, offering a sense of serenity and poetry, evoking compassion and mercy, and cultivating a sense of shared community,” said Liu.
Apart from his architectural achievements, Liu is also a prolific writer, with works exploring themes from utopias to low-tech strategies in architecture. His early career saw him volunteering in Tibet, a move that fueled his passion for using architecture as a medium for personal expression and social engagement.
Throughout his career, Liu has remained deeply connected to his roots, emphasizing the role of architecture in reflecting and enhancing local culture and environment. His philosophy of being "like water"—adapting fluidly to the surrounding context while leaving a lasting impact—mirrors his approach to each project.
Liu Jiakun’s accolades include numerous national and international awards, underscoring his role as a transformative figure in architecture. He is currently a visiting professor at various prestigious institutions worldwide and continues to live and practice in Chengdu, dedicating his work to the betterment of everyday life through thoughtful and contextually aware architecture.
The Pritzker Prize jury highlighted Liu's ability to blend historical context with innovative design, creating spaces that are not only functional infrastructures but also vibrant public spaces and cultural landscapes.
“Through an outstanding body of work of deep coherence and constant quality, Liu Jiakun imagines and constructs new worlds, free from any aesthetic or stylistic constraint. Instead of a style, he has developed a strategy that never relies on a recurring method but rather on evaluating the specific characteristics and requirements of each project differently. That is to say, Liu Jiakun takes present realities and handles them to the point of offering sometimes a whole new scenario of daily life. Beyond knowledge and techniques, common sense and wisdom are the most powerful tools he adds to the designer’s toolbox,” states the 2025 Jury Citation, in part.
Liu’s approach revisits Chinese traditions not with nostalgia but as a foundation for innovative, forward-thinking designs that resonate with contemporary society.
“Cities tend to segregate functions, but Liu Jiakun takes the opposite approach and sustains a delicate balance to integrate all dimensions of the urban life,” comments Alejandro Aravena, Chair of the Jury and 2016 Pritzker Prize Laureate. He continues, “In a world that tends to create endless dull peripheries, he has found a way to build places that are a building, infrastructure, landscape and public space at the same time. His work may offer impactful clues on how to confront the challenges of urbanization, in an era of rapidly growing cities.”
