Chilean Architect Smiljan Radić Clarke Awarded 2026 Pritzker Architecture Prize

Santiago, Chile – March 15, 2026 – Chilean architect Smiljan Radić Clarke has been named the 2026 Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, widely regarded as the highest honor in the field and often compared to the Nobel Prize for architecture. The announcement, made by the Pritzker Architecture Prize jury, recognizes Radić as the 55th laureate for his distinctive body of work that embraces fragility, material experimentation, and cultural memory while offering quiet, introspective spaces in an uncertain world.

Born in 1965 in Santiago to parents of Croatian and English descent, Radić founded his practice, Smiljan Radić Clarke, in 1995. His designs are characterized by a deliberate modesty and a refusal to impose certainty or spectacle. Instead, they favor imperfection, hybrid forms, and a sensitive dialogue with site, materials, and human experience. The jury citation praises him for “reminding us that architecture is an art, in that it touches the very core of the human condition; for allowing the discipline to embrace imperfection and fragility, offering quiet shelters… without the need to be louder or more spectacular in order to matter.”

Radić’s approach often results in structures that appear delicately placed rather than firmly anchored, hovering slightly above the ground or partially embedded in it. His projects span private residences, cultural institutions, civic spaces, wineries, and temporary installations across Chile and internationally.

Among his most celebrated works is the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2014 in London, a translucent fiberglass shell perched on large quarry stones, creating a semi-enclosed space that blurs indoor and outdoor boundaries while allowing natural light to filter through.

Other notable projects include the House for the Poem of the Right Angle (Vilches, Chile, 2013), a contemplative retreat with carefully oriented openings that capture shifting light and encourage stillness.

The NAVE Performing Arts Center (Santiago, Chile, 2015) demonstrates his adaptive reuse ethos, preserving a damaged early-20th-century heritage building while inserting new volumes for performance, rehearsal, and workshops.

The Vik Millahue Winery (Millahue, Chile, 2013) integrates with its landscape through thoughtful material choices and orientation.

Restaurant Mestizo (Santiago, Chile, 2006) partially embeds into the site for shelter from winds and light.

Pite House (Papudo, Chile, 2005) orients to environmental conditions.

More recent works like Guatero (Santiago, Chile, 2023), an inflatable silver structure resembling a hot water bottle for the Chilean Architecture Biennial, highlight his ongoing experimentation.

Radić becomes the fifth Latin American architect to receive the prize and the second from Chile, underscoring the region’s growing global influence. He will receive a $100,000 cash prize and a bronze medallion.

In response to the award, Radić has emphasized the emotional presence in his work, creating experiences that invite pause and reflection amid indifference.

For more on his practice and selected projects, visit the official Pritzker announcement page: Here