Meet Liu Jiakun, the 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize-Winning Architect
Chinese architect Liu Jiakun has just been officially awarded the 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize, the most prestigious award in the world. His victory celebrates an individual achievement and draws worldwide attention to a crucial question: What should architecture truly serve? Liu Jiakun thinks the answer has always been simple: humanity.
Architecture Rooted in Human Stories
It has been a long time since, through his work, Liu Jiakun was recognized as an architect unconcerned with transient fashions, but instead focused on making people, culture, and emotional resilience the foci of his work.
It is visually balanced, has its base in social principles, and provides a strong sense of connection to its surroundings. In community centers, public spaces, or disaster reconstruction, Liu is working consistently to bring back dignity and comfort to offer a sense of belonging. Because of that human-centered approach, his work easily feels timeless.
Raw material use-unelaborated concrete, stone, and wood-is also honest. Instead of disguising textures, they can speak their voice. The side effects are to develop a warm, earthy aesthetic; doing so keeps construction practical and viable, ecologically speaking.
Why Liu Jiakun deserves the prize
As the Pritzker jury said, Liu Jiakun stands out due to that rare consistency in his melding of aesthetics and functionality along with social responsibility into one seamless narrative. Several points define his impact:
1. Deep sensitivity to communities in crisis
The reconstruction he did in Sichuan following the earthquake in 2008 still remains some of his most respected works. He has never rebuilt in a stiff, technical way, but has created spaces that allowed people to heal emotionally and socially.
2. A Natural Balance between Tradition and Modern Life
Liu never forgets his cultural roots; the element of local customs is an indispensable part even in his most contemporary works. His conviction is that architecture is a dialogue, rather than a replacement.
3. Elegance Through Simplicity
His buildings tend to be subdued rather than spectacular. Transitions from outside to inside are soft and intuitively clear. Light passes through his buildings softly to create comfort rather than display.
A Global Shift: Architecture with Empathy
Liu Jiakun’s win perhaps better reflects what is happening in the design world: today, architecture is not just about grandiose forms or high-tech glitz; architecture is returning to its true essence: people, culture, and the emotional power of a space.
His work signals that responsible design is not only appreciated, but it is demanded. Sustainability, social engagement, and emotional intelligence are no longer options; they are expectations.
His story reminds the young architects, amongst others, that good work doesn’t rise out of complexity, but out of clarity and compassion.
What is it about his architecture that makes it so universally loved?
Liu Jiakun’s works are appreciated by people ranging from 17 to 65 years because they speak directly to everyday life.
His buildings invite people in to walk, to rest, to gather, to reflect, and to be. Where the design often feels minimal, there is an innate, quiet warmth and generosity to every corner. It is this quality that gives character to the form-something which cannot be fabricated but can only be understood.
That’s why the 2025 Pritzker Prize feels like more than an award; it’s a reminder to the world that the best architecture doesn’t shout-it listens.
Closing Remarks
Liu Jiakun’s recognition as the winner of the 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize stands as a milestone in the architecture of today. In a neighborhood full of flashy images and fast development, he offers something that lasts: building designs which heal, support, and celebrate human life.
With authentic materials, thoughtfully designed space, and strong ties among the community, Liu Jiakun creates more than buildings; he instills hope.
