Smiljan Radić Clarke, winner of the 2026 Pritzker Prize!

The 2026 Pritzker Prize has been awarded to Smiljan Radić Clarke – a Chilean architect whose work defies typical patterns of contemporary design. It is one of the most prestigious honors in the world of architecture, often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of architecture.”

Photo: Ardfern, CC Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

 

Who is the 2026 Pritzker Prize laureate?

Smiljan Radić Clarke was born in 1965 in Santiago, Chile – and it is there that he has run his studio since 1995. He studied architecture at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and later pursued historical studies in Venice, which shaped his broad perspective on design.

Instead of spectacular forms and technological extravagance, Radić focuses on:

• rawness and the poetics of materials – stone, concrete, wood, fabric, and fiberglass combined in unconventional ways
• a strong dialogue with place – he treats each project as a separate exploration of context and culture
• experimentation with structure and light – semi-transparent shells, interplay of shadow and form
• fragility as a value – buildings appear temporary, although they are backed by advanced engineering solutions

His studio intentionally remains small in scale. Radić consciously rejects the idea of a “recognizable style” and never designs the same way twice.

Photo: Tomáš Znamenáček, CC Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International

Key architectural works

Among the most well-known projects by the laureate are:

• Serpentine Gallery Pavilion (London, 2014) – a 170-square-meter fiberglass structure resembling a semi-transparent shell resting on massive stones; after the exhibition, it was relocated to the garden of the Hauser & Wirth gallery in Somerset
• Teatro Regional del Biobío (Concepción, 2018) – a modern cultural center with a semi-transparent façade that combines acoustic functions with the play of natural light
• Restaurant Mestizo (Santiago, 2006) – a roof supported by reinforced concrete beams resting on large boulders extracted from a nearby quarry – raw material becomes part of the narrative here
• NAVE (Santiago) – the adaptation of a damaged early 20th-century townhouse into a performing arts center, covered with a semi-transparent polycarbonate shell
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It is precisely such projects that have brought him international recognition and justified the jury’s decision.

Pritzker Prize jury citation

The jury emphasized that Radić creates architecture that is quiet yet deeply meaningful. The citation highlighted:

• the ability to create spaces conducive to reflection and contemplation
• courage in experimenting with form, material, and scale
• a consistent approach to fragility as a condition of human experience – not as weakness, but as value

His projects do not dominate their surroundings – they engage in dialogue with them. In an era of excess forms and visual stimuli, this is a unique approach.

 

Chile back on the global architectural map

Radić is the second architect from Chile to receive the Pritzker Prize – the first was Alejandro Aravena in 2016. This highlights the growing importance of South America on the global architectural stage and the increasing interest in design rooted in local context and tradition.

 

What is the Pritzker Prize?

The Pritzker Prize was established in 1979 and is awarded annually to a living architect whose work has had a significant impact on the development of architecture. Previous laureates include:

• Zaha Hadid
• Frank Gehry
• Tadao Ando
• Renzo Piano

The laureate receives $100,000 and a bronze medal. The prize is considered the highest possible honor in this field.