Luyeyuan Stone Sculpture Art Museum. Image © Bi Kejian
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https://www.archdaily.com/1035919/2025-pritzker-architecture-prize-ceremony-video-released-honoring-liu-jiakun
The Pritzker Architecture Prize has released a special video honoring Liu Jiakun, the 54th Laureate of the award. Filmed at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the ceremony celebrates Liu‘s architectural vision, characterized by a deep engagement with civic life, cultural continuity, and the human condition. The film captures moments from the event and offers insight into Liu‘s broader practice, emphasizing architecture‘s capacity to reconcile tradition and modernity while addressing social and environmental challenges. The release of the ceremony video marks the culmination of the 47th edition of the Pritzker Architecture Prize. The 2026 Laureate will be announced in March, continuing the award’s legacy of recognizing architects whose work advances the discipline and its role in shaping human experience.
Born in Chengdu, China, in 1956, Liu Jiakun founded Jiakun Architects in 1999. His body of work spans cultural, civic, and residential projects, distinguished by their sensitivity to local context and material honesty. Rejecting a singular aesthetic style, Liu employs adaptable strategies that respond to the specific social and environmental conditions of each site. His architecture seeks to harmonize collective and individual experience, crafting spaces that foster connection, reflection, and resilience within the rapidly transforming urban landscapes of contemporary China.
The Renovation of Tianbao Cave District of Erlang Town. Image © Arch-Exist
This year’s ceremony marks the first held since the passing of Cindy Pritzker, who co-founded the award with Jay A. Pritzker in 1979. The event gathered jury members, past Laureates, and international guests under the museum’s dome, designed by Jean Nouvel, the 2008 Laureate. Liu’s recognition underscores an approach grounded in community and balance, reflecting an understanding of architecture as both a personal expression and a collective act.
Related Article Who Is Liu Jiakun? 10 Things to Know About the 2025 Pritzker Architecture Laureate
Architecture is closely intertwined with the fate of humanity—it will evolve and renew itself, as it has always been doing. As long as humanity does not perish, architecture will not either. – Liu Jiakun
Design Department on new campus, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. Image © Jiakun Architects
In conjunction with the ceremony, the 2025 Laureate Lecture and Panel Discussion, titled On Land: A Model for Community, was organized at the Cultural Foundation in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi. The program explored themes central to Liu’s work, including the integration of landscape, memory, and shared space. The video includes reflections from the 2025 Jury, featuring Barry Bergdoll, Deborah Berke, André Corrêa do Lago, Kazuyo Sejima, Anne Lacaton, and Executive Director Manuela Lucá-Dazio, as well as appearances from past Laureates including Jean Nouvel, Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem, Ramon Vilalta, Jean-Philippe Vassal, David Chipperfield, and Riken Yamamoto.