Cover Liu Jiakun (Photo: courtesy of The Hyatt Foundation/The Pritzker Architecture Prize)
Liu Jiakun (Photo: courtesy of The Hyatt Foundation/The Pritzker Architecture Prize)
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China’s revolutionary architect transforms tradition into modern masterpieces while honouring cultural heritage
In the sprawling megacities of modern China, where gleaming skyscrapers and spectacular forms have come to define the urban landscape, Liu Jiakun has spent decades crafting a thoughtful architectural language. As highlighted in the Pritzker announcement, his buildings intertwine “seemingly antipodes such as utopia versus everyday existence, history versus modernity, and collectivism versus individuality.”
The 2025 Pritzker Prize, announced on the 4th of March by the Hyatt Foundation in Chicago, recognises Liu as the laureate of what is widely regarded as the profession’s highest honour. “Through an outstanding body of work of deep coherence and constant quality, Liu Jiakun imagines and constructs new worlds, free from any aesthetic or stylistic constraint,” the jury citation reads, praising an architect who has remained steadfastly committed to local context.
Working primarily in his native Chengdu, Liu has developed an architectural philosophy that “celebrates the lives of ordinary citizens” while” upholding the transcendent power of the built environment.” Long before receiving architecture’s highest honour, Liu had established himself on the global stage. His work has been featured at multiple Venice Architecture Biennales (2008 and 2016) and was the subject of a solo exhibition at Berlin’s prestigious Aedes Gallery in 2017. In 2018, Liu was selected to design the first-ever Serpentine Pavilion in Beijing—a commission featuring architectural luminaries like Zaha Hadid and Rem Koolhaas—positioning him among the world’s most innovative practitioners.
The following five aspects of Liu’s work and philosophy illustrate why he has earned architecture’s coveted prize.
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1. An unconventional path
The Renovation of Tianbao Cave District of Erlang Town (Photo: courtesy of Arch-Exist)
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Born in Chengdu in 1956, Liu was initially drawn to architecture because he “liked drawing pictures.” After graduating in 1982, he worked at a state institute before volunteering in Tibet’s high-altitude Nagqu region. Liu was “an architect by day and an author by night,” nearly abandoning his practice for writing.
In 1993, he experienced a pivotal realisation that architecture “allows me to get into people’s lives and have a deeper understanding.” He founded Jiakun Architecture in 1999, and since then, he has created over thirty significant projects.
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2. Transforming disaster into innovation
Novartis (Shanghai) Block - C6 (Photo: courtesy of Arch-Exist)
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Following the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, Liu developed “Rebirth Bricks”—construction materials created by upcycling rubble with local wheat fibre and cement. These bricks offered greater physical and economic efficiency than conventional materials.
Their use throughout significant projects like the Novartis building and West Village demonstrates Liu’s practical approach—creating meaningful structures that address real-world problems while supporting local economies and reducing environmental impact.
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3. Rejecting Style for Context
Above Hu Huishan Memorial (Photo: courtesy of Jiakun Architects)
Above Museum of Clocks, Jianchuan Museum Cluster (Photo: courtesy of Bi Kejian)
Hu Huishan Memorial (Photo: courtesy of Jiakun Architects)
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The Pritzker jury praised Liu’s approach as “free from any aesthetic or stylistic constraint.” Unlike architects who impose a consistent style, Liu allows each project to emerge naturally from its context.
He prioritises common sense and wisdom over rigid theoretical frameworks, drawing from Chinese philosophy and Heideggerian thought to create spaces that evoke “a sense of poetry and atmosphere rather than just fulfill a practical function.”
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4. Reinterpreting tradition
Luyeyuan Stone Sculpture Art Museum (Photo: courtesy of Bi Kejian)
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Liu’s reverence for culture never descends into imitation. The Suzhou Museum of Imperial Kiln Brick reimagines traditional pavilion qualities using contemporary materials to create openness and historical continuity.
Similarly, the Luyeyuan Stone Sculpture Art Museum blends contemporary design with Chinese garden philosophy, using courtyards, pathways, and water features to create fluid interaction between architecture and nature. Liu honours tradition by extracting its wisdom rather than recreating its forms.
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5. Rethinking urban space
Above West Village (Photo: courtesy of Qian Shen Photography)
West Village (Photo: courtesy of Qian Shen Photography)
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Liu challenges traditional urban planning that separates functions into isolated zones. Instead, he creates integrated environments where different activities coexist harmoniously. West Village in Chengdu defies the conventional high-rise model with fluid, interconnected spaces where private and public realms merge.
His projects prioritise walkability, gathering spaces, and shared resources—presenting an alternative vision for city planning that values people over vehicles, interaction over isolation, and shared spaces over division.
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Jennifer Choo is Regional Managing Editor of Tatler Homes, covering architecture, interior design, and art across Asia. Based in Malaysia, she oversees regional content on luxury residential design and contemporary art collections. Legally trained but choosing to pursue her passion for design, she previously led notable design publications and worked as an interior stylist and art consultant for property developers, design firms, and private clients.
