A look at the 2025 Pritzker laureate.
“Architecture should reveal something—it should abstract, distill and make visible the inherent qualities of local people.”
The above line encapsulates the approach of the Pritzker Prize of 2025 laureate, Liu Jiakun. Born in 1956 in Chengdu in the People’s Republic of China, Liu’s early life bore witness to the rapid changes that accompanied the densification prevalent in cities. Graduating in 1982 he stepped into the China of the Transition Period, a time for rebuilding and reframing the fabric of daily lives. Styling himself an ‘accidental architect’, Liu explored his prowess in other artistic endeavours, including literature, for a brief period since. It was later, in the year of 1999, that Liu established Jiakun Architects in Chengdu – a step past which his unique understanding of design evolved into what the 2025 Jury Citation described as “[imagining] and [constructing] new worlds, free from any aesthetic or stylistic constraint.”
While the process of densification often prioritises the practical function of architecture over the artistic, Liu Jiakun’s work stood apart in its ability to perfectly accommodate the former while not compromising on the latter. This quality has enabled him to leave his mark in the annals of architectural design; a quality that is, surprisingly enough, rooted in his belief in the idea that architecture should evolve organically out of the people and terrain it is meant to host – “a psychological terrain inhabited by a people”. Liu’s work does, in several ways, treat the space we exist in as more than just one’s surroundings. It uses the built environment as a medium to convey, in his own words, his “pursuit of narrative and poetry in design”.
Liu’s work is thus a reflection of this abstract, a narrative thread running through the inhabitants and visitors that behold it, a story unfolding as lives are lived. Tending to favour traditional and community-oriented craft and practices, it also is a testament to the spirit of reviving and sustaining the timelessness of the relationship between man and the space they inhabit. Largely consisting of public, community-oriented spaces, he is adept at transforming the mundane into the evocative, in an act of revival that breathes back old life into the cities of today.
The simple profundity of this understanding can perhaps be detected elsewhere, as Liu – exemplifying perfectly the polymath culture – weaves together the strands of his literary acumen with his proficiency in design, both enhancing and reflecting the other. The result is a signature style embodying depth, representative of a larger shift in thought and perspective in a time where the world requires a sustainable, meaningful template for its burgeoning progress.
"I always aspire to be like water—to permeate through a place without carrying a fixed form of my own and to seep into the local environment and the site itself".
-Liu Jiakun
Very Insightful.
Liu Jiakun’s approach to architecture is truly inspiring. The way he integrates narrative and poetry into design while maintaining functionality is a rare talent. His belief in architecture evolving organically from its people and surroundings resonates deeply. Looking forward to more insights on his work
Great work! Architecture as storytelling is such a powerful concept. Just a suggestion, I feel the writeups would benefit from being more detailed. A very well written introduction into the topic however, Kudos!
Quite an insightful take on Liu Jiakun’s work! You’ve perfectly highlighted his balance of function and artistic depth. Looking forward to more of your writing!
I like this perspective on Liu Jiakun’s work. His balance of function and artistry is impressive, and your writing captures it well.