Eleven key projects by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winner Liu Jiakun

Following the news that Liu Jiakun has won this year's Pritzker Architecture Prize, we round up 11 projects from the Chinese architect's four-decade-long career.

Liu, who is the founder of Jiakun Architects, was announced as the 54th laureate of the prestigious architecture award today in recognition of his buildings that "celebrate the everyday lives of people".

Working exclusively in China, the architect is best-known for his urban projects ranging from academic and cultural institutions to civic spaces, commercial buildings and urban landscapes.

Liu's work is free from a trademark architectural style, but a common theme is an ambition to optimise public space within dense urban sites.

This is exemplified in Liu's largest built project, West Village, which encompasses an entire block in Chengdu and houses cultural, recreational and office spaces within a five-storey structure organised around a central courtyard.

Another example is the Department of Sculpture at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, which features protruding upper levels designed to maximise available floor space.

Liu was selected as the 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize winner by a jury led by Chilean architect and 2016 laureate Alejandro Aravena.

"Cities tend to segregate functions, but Liu Jiakun takes the opposite approach and sustains a delicate balance to integrate all dimensions of the urban life," Aravena said.

"In a world that tends to create endless dull peripheries, he has found a way to build places that are a building, infrastructure, landscape and public space at the same time."

Read on for 11 notable projects by the architect:

Luyeyuan Stone Sculpture Art Museum, China, 2002

Exposed concrete walls were used as a backdrop for the stone relics exhibited at this sculpture museum set in a bamboo forest in Chengdu.

Completed by Liu in 2002, the Luyeyuan Stone Sculpture Art Museum has large openings that minimise the use of artificial lighting within the building.

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

Rust-toned panels informed by nearby buildings were used for the exterior of the Department of Sculpture at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in Chongqing.

The structure is defined by its angular shape that protrudes outwards at its upper levels – maximising space within the building.

Design Department, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, China, 2006

A cluster of seven brick buildings make up the Design Department of the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, which houses a series of flexible indoor and outdoor spaces for the university's new campus.

Drawing on the surrounding industrial landscape, the west, south and northeast buildings are topped with vaulted, pitched and butterfly roofs respectively, while the other roofs accommodate outdoor spaces.

Museum of Clocks, Jianchuan Museum Cluster, China, 2007

The Museum of Clocks forms part of the Jianchuan Museum Cluster in Chengdu and was completed in 2007 to house a series of gallery spaces.

Using red brick and concrete, Liu designed three exhibition halls held within geometric volumes – one of which features a circular structure punctuated by a large circular roof opening.

Hu Huishan Memorial, China, 2009

Following the Sichuan earthquake of 2008, Liu designed the Hu Huishan Memorial in honour of a 15-year-old girl who died during the event.

Externally, the pitched, plaster-coated structure resembles a temporary relief tent. Visible only through a peephole, the interior reveals a pink bedroom filled with the possessions of the girl, Hu Huishan.

Shuijingfang Museum, China, 2013

Completed in 2013, the Shuijingfang Museum in Chengdu involved the addition of new concrete structures to a set of pre-existing wood-framed structures.

A spacious courtyard flanks the building, which is spread across two floors and topped with a pitched roof.

Novartis Shanghai, China, 2014

Cantilevered balconies reminiscent of towers seen in classical Chinese architecture wrap around the exterior of the Novartis Shanghai office building.

The six-storey building is punctured by a vertical atrium, around which flexible office space, leisure areas and a courtyard and garden are located.

West Village, China, 2015

Liu's largest building, West Village, is a mixed-use community complex encompassing an entire block in Chengdu.

An expansive outdoor area sits at the centre of the development and is flanked by cultural, recreational and office spaces connected by a network of pedestrian and cyclist ramps.

Suzhou Museum of Imperial Kiln Brick, China, 2016

Historical ruins were protected for the development of the Suzhou Museum of Imperial Kiln Brick in Suzhou's Xiangcheng District.

Large concrete columns support the museum's three-storey structure, which hosts gallery and public spaces including an outdoor exhibition area on the rooftop.

Songyang Culture Neighbourhood, China, 2020

The Songyang Culture Neighbourhood project involved the revitalisation of a former spiritual and cultural centre in Lishui with the addition of a museum, hotel, cafe and bookstore.

Existing pathways were connected with newly-built steel corridors to provide circulation around the public programmes.

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

The Renovation of Tianbao Cave District of Erlang Town was a project designed to reinvigorate a site once used for the production of Lang liquor and immerse visitors in its green, coastal landscape.

As part of the project, the studio created a cultural centre that includes a mirrored exhibition hall and a cantilevered reception hall overlooking the landscape.

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