Chinese architect Liu Jiakun, founder of Jiakun Architects, has been awarded the 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize, the most prestigious honor in the field. The prize recognizes his commitment to social equity, his integration of traditional Chinese elements with modern design, and his focus on creating spaces that serve communities.
Liu is the second Chinese architect to win the Pritzker Prize, following Wang Shu in 2012. The award ceremony will take place in spring 2025 at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, with a global video release in the fall. He will also deliver the 2025 Laureates’ Lecture and Symposium in May.
The Pritzker Prize jury praised Liu’s approach to architecture, which focuses on fitting the design to its surroundings instead of forcing a single style. They also praised his ability to balance history and modernity, density and openness, and individual and collective spaces.
Key Takeaways
- Liu Jiakun won the 2025 Pritzker Prize for combining traditional Chinese design with modern architecture.
- West Village in Chengdu (2015) integrates homes, businesses, and public spaces around a central courtyard.
- He developed "Rebirth Bricks" from earthquake rubble for sustainable construction.
Liu Jiakun’s Background and Early Career
Born in 1956 in Chengdu, Liu was a teenager sent to the countryside during Mao Zedong’s “educated youth” program. He originally considered studying medicine, storage management, and tannery before choosing architecture at Chongqing University, where he earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Architecture in 1982.
He worked on rebuilding projects in post-revolution China and spent 1984 to 1986 in Nagqu, Tibet, designing buildings in extreme conditions. By 1993, disillusioned with architecture, he considered quitting to focus on writing. His interest was revived after attending an exhibition by Tang Hua, a former classmate. He founded Jiakun Architects in 1999 in Chengdu.
West Village and the Redefinition of Urban Density
Completed in 2015, West Village in Chengdu is one of Liu’s most recognized projects. The five-story complex surrounds a large courtyard with sports fields, green spaces, and pedestrian pathways designed to integrate residential, commercial, and public functions.
The structure includes sloping pathways for cyclists and pedestrians, creating a vertical park-like space.
West Village became a major public attraction, leading authorities to restrict access due to its popularity. The project demonstrates Liu’s approach to urban density, where high-density spaces remain open and connected to nature.
Another example is the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute’s Sculpture Department Building in Chongqing, where he used cantilevering to maximize space on a restricted site while maintaining an open atmosphere.
Tradition as a Functional Tool
Liu Jiakun does not replicate traditional Chinese architecture but adapts its core principles for modern use.
At the Museum of Imperial Kiln Brick in Suzhou (2016), he incorporated flat rooftop eaves inspired by traditional pavilions. These elements provide shade and ventilation, showing how traditional ideas can serve practical functions.
Similarly, in the Novartis Shanghai Campus, he referenced Chinese pagodas with tiered balconies, which improve airflow and provide shaded outdoor spaces.
“I focus on the themes that tradition focuses on, rather than the forms that tradition presents,” Liu explained.
Local Materials and the “Rebirth Brick”
Liu prioritizes locally sourced materials and raw finishes, allowing buildings to age naturally. His “Rebirth Bricks,” developed after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, use rubble mixed with wheat stalks and cement. They have been incorporated into multiple projects, including the Shuijingfang Museum in Chengdu.
The Hu Huishan Memorial, built for a teenager who died in the Sichuan earthquake, is a gray structure with an open door leading to a pink interior. The museum at the Jianchuan Museum Cluster in Chengdu displays the girl’s belongings.
“Architecture should reveal something—it should abstract, distill, and make visible the inherent qualities of local people,” Liu has stated.
A Global Perspective with Local Roots
Liu’s work remains mostly within China, with over 30 completed projects, primarily in Chengdu and Chongqing. He has participated in the Venice Biennale and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale and has lectured at MIT and the Royal College of Art.
In 2018, he designed the first Serpentine Pavilion outside London, in Beijing, introducing his architectural philosophy to a broader audience.
With the Pritzker Prize, Liu’s influence is expected to expand beyond China. He has stated that his design approach is adaptable to any location as long as he thoroughly understands its context.
“As long as I am fully familiar with the place, I think my methods are completely applicable,” he said.
