10 projects by 2026 Pritzker Prize winner Smiljan Radić Clarke

House for the Poem of the Right Angle, photo courtesy of Smiljan Radić

As Archinect reported this morning, Chilean architect Smiljan Radić Clarke has been announced as the winner of the 2026 Pritzker Prize, one of the architecture world’s most prestigious awards.

Radić’s approach is defined by unique, singular approaches to each project rather than adopting a repeatable architectural language. According to the jury, Radić’s work is driven by context, use, and anthropological awareness, where the site is understood not only in physical terms but as a convergence of history, social practice, and political circumstance. Site-specific strategies drive his work, with each building emerging from particular conditions rather than from a signature formula.

“Architecture exists between large, massive, and enduring forms — structures that stand under the sun for centuries, waiting for our visit — and smaller, fragile constructions — fleeting as the life of a fly, often without a clear destiny under conventional light,” Radić said upon the announcement that he would receive the prize. “Within this tension of disparate times, we strive to create experiences that carry emotional presence, encouraging people to pause and reconsider a world that so often passes them by with indifference.”

Following the announcement, Archinect has rounded up 10 projects that have defined Radić’s career, highlighting what the Pritzker Prize jury described as a “body of work positioned at the crossroads of uncertainty, material experimentation, and cultural memory.”

Guatero, Santiago, Chile (2023)

Guatero, photo courtesy of Cristobal Palma

Guatero, photo courtesy of Smiljan RadićGuatero, photo courtesy of Cristobal PalmaTeatro Regional del Biobío, Concepción, Chile (2018)

Teatro Regional del Biobío, photo courtesy of Iwan Baan

Teatro Regional del Biobío, photo courtesy of Iwan BaanTeatro Regional del Biobío, photo courtesy of Hisao SuzukiNAVE, Performing Arts Center, Santiago, Chile (2015)

NAVE, Performing Arts Center, photo courtesy of Cristobal Palma

NAVE, Performing Arts Center, photo courtesy of Cristobal PalmaNAVE, Performing Arts Center, photo courtesy of Cristobal PalmaSerpentine Gallery Pavilion, London, United Kingdom (2014)

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, photo courtesy of Iwan Baan

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, photo courtesy of Iwan BaanSerpentine Gallery Pavilion, photo courtesy of Iwan BaanHouse for the Poem of the Right Angle, Vilches, Chile (2013)

House for the Poem of the Right Angle, photo courtesy of Smiljan Radić

House for the Poem of the Right Angle, photo courtesy of Smiljan RadićHouse for the Poem of the Right Angle, photo courtesy of Gonzalo PugaChile Antes de Chile, Santiago, Chile (2013)

Chile Antes de Chile, photo courtesy of Cristobal Palma

Chile Antes de Chile, photo courtesy of Cristobal PalmaChile Antes de Chile, photo courtesy of Cristobal PalmaVik Millahue Winery, Millahue, Chile (2013)

Vik Millahue Winery, photo courtesy of Cristobal Palma

Vik Millahue Winery, photo courtesy of Cristobal PalmaVik Millahue Winery, photo courtesy of Cristobal PalmaRestaurant Mestizo, Santiago, Chile (2006)