SANAA has been awarded the 2025 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for Architecture, announced by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). 

Japanese architecture practice SANAA, led by Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, will receive the 2025 Royal Gold Medal for architecture - one of the world’s highest honours in architecture. 

The award honors SANAA's work to transform the world of design by "creating spaces that prioritize elegance, lightness, and simplicity." 

The 2025 RIBA Honours Committee commended SANAA for its work in advancing sustainable, user-centered design for almost thirty years. 

The 21st Century Museum of Art, Japan. Image © SANAA

"A universal language of architecture that resonates with people everywhere"

SANAA was praised for shaping "a universal language of architecture that resonates with people everywhere. Balancing boldness with sensitivity to the local environment, their works “demonstrate that architecture can be both functional and profoundly elegant, offering a sense of calm amidst an increasingly complex and chaotic world."

Bocconi University, Italy. Image © SANAA

"We have tried to make spaces that bring people together"

"We are delighted and very honoured to receive the Royal Gold Medal. We have always believed that architecture can transform and repair environments, helping us to relate to our surroundings, nature and each other," said SANAA.

"Throughout our careers we have tried to make spaces that bring people together, inviting them to imagine new ways of living and learning collectively."

"Architecture is always teamwork, and we are very grateful to everyone that has given us opportunities to develop these ideas over the years, and to all those people that have worked tirelessly with us to realise them. This is a very happy moment for us, thank you," SANAA added.

Grace Farms, USA. Image © Iwan Baan

With an emphasis on accessibility and diversity, SANAA is known for its strong dedication to developing spaces that foster community and encourage cooperation. 

Transparency and materiality frequently blend together to create surroundings that connect visitors to the architecture and surrounding landscape, and their unique use of light gives their spaces an ethereal feel. 

Their designs exhibit a remarkable commitment to their local context and surrounds, with projects across the globe. 

SANAA's designs reflect a profound sensitivity to place, from the imposing New Museum that towers over the busy streets of New York City to the subtly flowing low rise Rolex Learning Centre that "flows" over the beaches of Lake Geneva in Lausanne. 

Louvre-Lens, France. Image © SANAA

A tribute to the profound rigor of Sejima and Nishizawa's work, their designs frequently conceal the calm richness of their interiors behind a plain, minimalistic exterior. Their architectural approach is defined by this harmony between depth and simplicity.

The Dior Omotesando Store in Japan (2003), the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan (2004), the Zollverein School of Design in Germany (2006), the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in the United Kingdom (2009), the Louvre-Lens in France (2012), Grace Farms in the United States (2015), and Sydney Modern in Australia (2022) are some of their other notable works throughout their career.

New Kagawa Sports Arena, Japan. Image © SANAA

"Exemplifying an unassuming yet impactful leadership in the evolving practice and theory of architecture, SANAA’s designs demonstrate that architecture can balance functionality with profound elegance," said Muyiwa Oki, the RIBA President and Chair of the 2025 RIBA Honours Committee. 

"True pioneers in the field, their unwavering commitment to sustainable, user-centred design has quietly blazed a trail for others, setting an inspiring standard for the future of our built environment."

"Showing remarkable clarity and consistency over the decades, their work serves as a lasting testament to the transformative power of architecture - to inspire joy, create a sense of belonging, and connect us to the environments we inhabit," Oki added.

New Museum, USA. Image © Dean Kaufman

SANAA will receive the award during a public celebration in London on May 1, 2025. RIBA President Muyiwa Oki chaired the 2025 RIBA Honours Committee, which included 2024 Royal Gold Medal winner Lesley Lokko, BIG founder and architect Bjarke Ingels, and dRMM co-founding director and architect Sadie Morgan OBE.

Samaritaine in France. Image © SANAA

Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa have received numerous awards, including the renowned Pritzker Prize in 2010, the Architectural Institute of Japan Award in 2006 and the Praemium Imperiale award for architecture in 2022.

Kazuyo Sejima was awarded the Jane Drew Prize for Architecture 2023 for her work and commitment to design excellence and her contribution to raising the profile of women in architecture.

Sydney Modern Project, Australia. Image © Iwan Baan

Tsuruoka, Japan. Image © SANAA

Read the fully citation by the 2025 RIBA Honours Committee:

Sejima and Nishizawa and Associates (SANAA) is the established collaborative practice of Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa. Spanning nearly three decades, their work has become a standard for creating meaningful, culturally insightful, and elegant architectural designs.

Their work has reshaped the global design landscape, producing works that bring simplicity, light and elegance to the fore, establishing themselves as leaders in architecture’s global discourse. The projects bring spaces to life with a simplicity that resonates deeply across cultures and generations.

SANAA’s extraordinary talent comes from the unusual nature of their practice. One which oscillates between the two partners as individual practitioners, but whose many collaborations always produce interesting and remarkable results.

Balancing subtlety with strength, SANAA’s landmark works speak for themselves. From the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa to the Rolex Learning Centre in Lausanne, these projects blend transparency with solidity, uniting public and private spaces. With simple, elegant materials and graceful lines, their designs invite interaction, creating a seamless flow of natural light – a hallmark of their approach. Their work at the New Museum in New York and the Louvre-Lens in France reflects the innovative spirit and technical skill, bringing warmth and life to every space. Bold yet respectful of the local environment, SANAA has, since its founding, shaped a universal language of architecture that resonates with people everywhere.

As pioneers in sustainable, user-centred design, SANAA exemplifies an unassuming yet impactful leadership in the evolving practice and theory of architecture. Their lasting commitment to minimalist, human-focused space speaks to a deep understanding of architecture's power to shape society. In an era where sustainability and accessibility are increasingly essential, SANAA’s work continues to set a thoughtful, inspiring standard.

This medal recognises a practice that has exemplified remarkable clarity and consistency over the decades. It is a testament to their contribution to architecture - intellectually rigorous yet playfully engaging. Their legacy is rooted in a shared vision where architecture prioritises the human experience and human interaction, alongside form and function. As pioneers, they demonstrate that architecture can be both functional and profoundly elegant, bringing a sense of calm to our increasingly complex and chaotic world. Their designs prove that good architecture is approachable, easy to use, and compelling, as it embodies a global language of design understood across culture and generations.

The top image in the article: Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa © Aiko Suzuki.

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