Chinese architect Liu Jiakun has been named as the recipient of the 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize on Tuesday, 4 March.  

Jiakun was recently named the 54th Laureate of the renowned Pritzker Architecture Prize. Over the course of his four-decade career, Jiakun created over thirty projects in his hometown of China, including civic spaces, commercial buildings, academic and cultural institutions, and urban planning.

The jury commended the Chengdu-based architect for "imagining and constructing new worlds, free from any aesthetic or stylistic constraint" and "evaluating the specific characteristics and requirements of each project differently."

By combining seemingly contradictory ideas—such as utopia vs ordinary life, history versus modernity, and collectivism versus individuality—Liu creates inspirational architecture that respects the lives of everyday people. He preserves the transcendent power of the built environment and employs architecture to foster community, inspire empathy, and elevate the human spirit by striking a balance between cultural, historical, emotional, and social elements.

While adding cultural and social resources to his projects, from the West Village to the Renovation of Tianbao Cave District of Erlang Town in Luzhou, to the Luyeyuan Stone Sculpture Art Museum in Chengdu, are among the examples of the built and natural environments that co-exist in a reciprocal relation and in line with the most ancient Chinese philosophy and tradition.

We've wrapped up seven key projects by Liu Jiakun to help you better understand the Pritzker Architecture Prize Winner's work:

The Renovation of Tianbao Cave District of Erlang Town. Image courtesy of Arch-Exist

The Renovation of Tianbao Cave District of Erlang Town, Luzhou, China, 2021

The Renovation of Tianbao Cave District of Erlang Town is nestled in the lush cliffside landscape of Tianbao Mountain. According to the architect, there is a reciprocal link between humans and environment, as shown in this building, which both emerges and dissolves within its surroundings. The structure immerses guests in the verdant, seaside surroundings of the area where Lang liquor was formerly produced.

The firm built a cultural center as part of the project, which features a cantilevered reception hall with a view of the surroundings and a mirrored exhibition hall.

Suzhou Museum of Imperial Kiln Brick. Image courtesy of Yao Li

Suzhou Museum of Imperial Kiln Brick, Suzhou, China, 2016

Located in Suzhou's Xiangcheng District, historical ruins were preserved in order to build the Suzhou Museum of Imperial Kiln Brick. 

The museum's three-story building, which houses a gallery and public areas, including an outdoor exhibition space on the rooftop, is supported by large concrete columns. Large flat eaves are distinguished features of the building. 

West Village, photo courtesy of Chen Chen

West Village, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China, Chengdu, China, 2015

In contrast to the grid of recognizable mid-and high-rise structures, West Village is a five-story project that covers one entire block. The West Village is one of his largest works.

Its own thriving metropolis of cultural, athletic, recreational, office, and business activities is surrounded by an open yet enclosed border of sloping walkways for pedestrians and cyclists, allowing the public to see through to the surrounding natural and constructed landscapes. 

Hu Huishan Memorial. Image courtesy of Jiakun Architects

Hu Huishan Memorial, Chengdu, China, 2009

The Hu Huishan Memorial, a permanent cement relief tent, was displayed for the collective memory of a grieving nation as well as for a 15-year-old girl in the wake of the devastation. 

The architect skillfully elevates the individual perspective to a fundamental component of place-making in order to resurrect a social dimension, acknowledging that identity is a matter of both collective and personal memory.

Museum of Clocks, Jianchuan Museum Cluster. Image courtesy of Arch-Exist

Museum of Clocks, Jianchuan Museum Cluster, China, 2007

Built as a component of Chengdu's Jianchuan Museum Cluster, the project was finished in 2007 to make room for a number of gallery areas.

Liu used concrete and red brick to create three exhibition halls housed in geometric volumes, one of which has a circular shape with a wide circular roof opening.

Department of Sculpture, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. Image courtesy of Arch-Exist

Sichuan Fine Arts Institute Department of Sculpture, Chongqing, China, 2004

Instead of being polished, the Department of Sculpture building displays the wavy features of genuine Chongqing sand plastering artistry. By repurposing debris from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and fortifying it with regional wheat fiber and cement, the architect revitalizes materials—and spirits—to create fortified bricks that are more durable and cost-effective than the original. 

An alternative approach to optimizing space is demonstrated by the Department of Sculpture at Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, where top floors expand outward to increase the square footage of a small footprint.

Luyeyuan Stone Sculpture Art Museum. Image courtesy of Bi Kejian

Luyeyuan Stone Sculpture Art Museum, Chengdu, China, 2002

Believing that the human relationship with nature is reciprocal, buildings both emerge and dissolve within their surroundings. 

The Luyeyuan Stone Sculpture Art Museum, which houses Buddhist sculptures and relics, is designed after a traditional Chinese garden, balancing water and ancient stones to reflect the natural landscape.

The top image in the article: The Renovation of Tianbao Cave District of Erlang Town. Image courtesy of Arch-Exist.

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