Tag: alejandro-aravena | ArchDaily

Smiljan Radić Clarke Receives the 2026 Pritzker Prize, The Artist of Unspoken Architecture

Romullo Baratto — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 09:15:00 +0000

Chilean architect Smiljan Radić Clarke has been announced as the laureate of the 2026 Pritzker Architecture Prize, regarded as one of the highest honors in the field of architecture. The award recognizes Radić for a body of work that explores architecture through material experimentation, spatial perception, and a careful engagement with landscape and context. Born in Santiago, Chile, where he continues to live and work, Radić leads the practice Smiljan Radić Clarke, established in 1995. As the second Chilean to receive the prize, after Alejandro Aravena in 2016, he joins a distinguished list of previous laureates, including Liu Jiakun in 2025, Riken Yamamoto in 2024, David Chipperfield in 2023, and Diébédo Francis Kéré in 2022.

Meet the 15 Winning Projects of the 2026 ArchDaily Building of the Year Awards

Daniela Porto — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 08:30:00 +0000

A revitalized canning factory in a coastal Portuguese city, a memorial park in Ethiopia, a small-town Brazilian home, a wooden pavilion evoking Bahrain's heritage, and 11 other visionary projects comprise the winners of the 2026 ArchDaily Building of the Year Awards. Chosen over three weeks of public voting, the winners are representative of the current architectural landscape, reflecting a diversity of approaches, materialities and aesthetics, while also showcasing common threads across cultures.

Who Has Won the Pritzker Prize?

Nicolás Valencia — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 05:30:00 +0000

The Pritzker Prize is the most important award in the field of architecture, awarded to a living architect whose built work "has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity through the art of architecture." The Prize rewards individuals, not offices, as happened in 2000 (when the jury selected Rem Koolhaas instead of his firm OMA) or in 2016 (with Alejandro Aravena selected instead of ELEMENTAL); however, the Prize can also be awarded to multiple individuals working together, as was the case in 2001 (Herzog & de Meuron), 2010 (Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa from SANAA), and 2017 (Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem, and Ramon Vilalta from RCR Arquitectes).

Between Housing Demand and Environmental Goals: Alejandro Aravena on Incremental Solutions and Net-Zero Concrete

Maria-Cristina Florian — Fri, 16 May 2025 07:30:00 +0000

During the Time Space Existence exhibition, organized by the European Cultural Centre in Venice, Pritzker Prize-winning architect Alejandro Aravena and his firm ELEMENTAL unveiled a full-scale prototype for a new approach in incremental housing solutions. Titled the USB Core, standing for Basic Services Unit housing prototype, this proposal aims to demonstrate how efficient construction can provide all the essential housing components in a minimal space. The prototype is also the result of a collaboration between the architecture office and concrete manufacturer and researcher Holcim, and is built out of a newly developed type of net-zero concrete mix. It also incorporates fully recycled aggregates, in alignment with circular economy principles. The collaboration aims to demonstrate a more environmentally conscious yet cost-effective way of providing essential services to at-risk communities without harming the planet.

ECC Announces the 2025 Time Space Existence Exhibition in Venice as a Call to Repair, Regenerate, and Reuse

Maria-Cristina Florian — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 06:30:00 +0000

The 2025 iteration of the Time Space Existence exhibition is set to attract audiences from May 10 to November 23. Organized by the European Cultural Centre (ECC) in Venice's renowned venues—Palazzo Bembo, Palazzo Mora, and Marinaressa Gardens—this seventh edition brings together a diverse cohort of 207 architects, designers, artists, and researchers from over 52 countries. All contributions are curated under the theme of "Repair, Regenerate, and Reuse" as an exploration of architecture's capacity to engage with critical environmental, social, and cultural challenges. Highlights of the Special Projects section include ArchDaily's inaugural exhibition, presenting six architecture offices previously recognized as Best New Practices as emerging voices in the field of architectural innovations.

Why the 2025 Pritzker Prize Matters: Liu Jiakun and the Shift Toward Socially Responsible Architecture

Moises Carrasco — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

For nearly the past two decades, cities around the world embraced "starchitecture"—futuristic, eye-catching buildings designed by globally renowned architects. In China, this trend was particularly pronounced as rapid urbanization fueled the construction of iconic megastructures like Zaha Hadid's Galaxy SOHO, OMA's CCTV Headquarters, and Herzog & de Meuron's Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing. At the time of their construction, these were all celebrated as symbols of progress and global ambition. However, architecture worldwide has begun shifting toward a more context-driven, human-centered approach, with China emerging as one of the key contributors to this transformation. This year, Liu Jia Kun's 2025 Pritzker Prize further underscores that shift.

Alejandro Aravena’s Elemental and Holcim Collaborate on Carbon-Neutral Housing at the 2025 Venice Biennale

Antonia Piñeiro — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 06:30:00 +0000

From May 10 to November 23, 2025, a carbon-neutral housing project designed by Elemental, the firm led by Pritzker Prize winner Alejandro Aravena, will be showcased at the Venice Architecture Biennale. The project aims to combine the Chilean office's expertise in social housing with the construction products of Holcim (the company behind the Holcim Foundation) to create a prototype for resilient and affordable housing.

Riken Yamamoto Honored in 2024 Pritzker Architecture Prize Ceremony Video

Nour Fakharany — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 05:30:00 +0000

The Pritzker Architecture Prize has released a special video honoring Riken Yamamoto, the 2024 Laureate. Presented in a documentary-style format, the film celebrates Yamamoto's distinguished architectural career and his contributions as the 53rd Laureate, honored earlier this year in Chicago. This milestone coincided with the 100th birthday of Cindy Pritzker, co-founder of the Prize with her late husband, Jay A. Pritzker.

Designing with Empathy: Architecture for Social Equity

Diogo Borges Ferreira — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Architecture has long been understood as a powerful tool for shaping the physical environment and social dynamics within it. However, its potential to foster social equity is often overlooked. Empathy-driven design invites architects to approach their work not only as creators of space but as facilitators of human connection and community well-being. This approach centers on understanding people's lived experiences, struggles, and aspirations — particularly marginalized communities — and responding to their needs through thoughtful, inclusive architecture. It goes beyond aesthetics and functionality, instead focusing on creating spaces fostering dignity, accessibility, and social equity. By prioritizing empathy, architects can design environments that uplift communities, address disparities, and create inclusive spaces that promote positive societal change in a tangible, human-centered way.

Japanese Architect Riken Yamamoto Receives the 2024 Pritzker Architecture Prize

Christele Harrouk — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 08:57:00 +0000

Japanese architect and social advocate, Riken Yamamoto, has been selected as the 2024 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate. Known for establishing a "kinship between public and private realms" and creating "architecture as background and foreground to everyday life," Yamamoto is the 53rd honoree of the Pritzker Architecture Prize and the ninth architect from Japan to receive this recognition, following Arata Isozaki, Shigeru Ban, Kazuyo Sejima, Ryue Nishizawa, Kenzō Tange, Fumihiko Maki, Toyo Ito and Tadao Ando. Succeeding David Chipperfield in 2023, Francis Kéré in 2022, and Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal in 2021, Yamamoto will receive the Pritzker Prize during the 46th Pritzker Prize ceremony in Chicago this spring, and the 2024 Laureate Lecture will be held at S.R. Crown Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology, in partnership with the Chicago Architecture Center, on May 16th.

Days of ORIS 2024: Mary Anderson, Xu Tiantian and Alejandro Aravena

Rene Submissions — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 15:00:00 +0000

Since 2001, Days of Oris has brought together some of the world's most interesting global architects, in Zagreb, Croatia. This year three global practices bring unique perspective from diverse geographies: Mary Anderson from Assemble (UK), a community oriented practice that does not only focus on the building, but rather on the social impact of their projects; Xu Tiantian from DnA Design and Architecture (China), with a focus on rural China and its communities, delivering an architecture with a strong identity; and Pritzker laureate Alejandro Aravena, whose practice ELEMENTAL (Chile) has brought new perspectives to social housing and public projects across the globe, focusing on the right answer that architecture should respond to.

Pritzker Architecture Prize Ceremony Video Honors Sir David Chipperfield, the 2023 Laureate

Maria-Cristina Florian — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 06:30:00 +0000

The Pritzker Architecture Prize has released the ceremony video to honor of the 2023 Laureate of the prestigious Pritzker Prize, Sir David Chipperfield. Following the announcement from earlier this year, the ceremony was held on November 14th at the Ancient Agora of Athens, presented and sponsored by the Hyatt Foundation. It included the 2023 Laureate Lecture and Panel Discussion, where David Alan Chipperfield was joined by Francis Kéré, the 2022 Laureate, and Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal, the 2021 Laureates.

Alejandro Aravena Selected to Design a New Space for Architecture, Art, and Design in Mexico

Mónica Arellano — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 04:30:00 +0000

Through a statement from Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico, it has been announced that the Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena will construct a new facility on the Monterrey campus, named "Aulas 10." This facility will house the School of Architecture, Art, and Design (EAAD) with the goal of becoming a space that fosters creativity and knowledge.

Watch David Chipperfield, Francis Kéré, Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal Live at the 2023 Pritzker Prize Laureate Lecture & Panel Discussion

Christele Harrouk — Tue, 23 May 2023 08:40:00 +0000

The Pritzker Architecture Prize presents The Role of Practice, the 2023 Laureate Lecture and Panel Discussion, today, Tuesday, May 23rd at 3:40 PM EEST, in partnership with the National Technical University of Athens, and with the participation of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University of Patras and the Technical University of Crete.

Exploring Vulnerable Habitats in the XXII Chile Architecture Biennial

Fabian Dejtiar — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 04:30:00 +0000

After the interruption of the 2019 edition due to the Social crisis in Chile, the Chilean Architecture Biennial returned to Santiago in January 2023 under the theme of 'Vulnerable Habitats', addressing issues such as "the emergence of the housing deficit in a context in which slums, informality, and illegal land takeovers have increased in recent years" and "the vulnerability and deterioration of public spaces; the urgent protection of tangible heritage; and environmental vulnerability in a context of a climate crisis."

From ELEMENTAL to Emilio Duhart: the Concrete Architecture in Chile through Jakub Sawosko's Lens

Nicolás Valencia — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 07:30:00 +0000

From Taiwan to the Netherlands to Uruguay, Jakub Sawosko has extensively been photographing concrete architecture all over the world and displaying them on Instagram as @sh_sh_welt.

ELEMENTAL and Nissen Wentzlaff Selected to Develop the BIS Headquarters in Basel, Switzerland

Fabian Dejtiar — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 08:00:00 +0000

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has just announced that the collaborative project designed by ELEMENTAL (Santiago, Chile) and Nissen Wentzlaff Architekten (Basel, Switzerland) is the winning entry of its international competition to develop its headquarters in Basel, Switzerland.

Santiago Architecture City Guide: 41 Buildings, Complexes and Parks to Visit in the Chilean Capital

Nicolás Valencia — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 08:30:00 +0000

Founded in 1541 by the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia on indigenous settlements in the valley of the Mapocho River, Santiago is the capital and most populated city of Chile. This South American city is enframed by the Andes Mountains to the east and the Chilean Coast Range to the west, in addition to 26 island hills (cerros islas) scattered throughout the city. Some of these island hills have been converted into urban parks, such as Santa Lucía and San Cristóbal, while Chena, Calán, and Renca are in the process of expansion.