Explore Liu Jiakun's architectural philosophy: a unique blend of tradition, sustainability, and social interaction in modern design.

Speaking to CNN ahead of Tuesday’s announcement, the founder of one of China’s first private architecture firms reflects on a career designing unpretentious buildings in an era of excess.

This multi-levelled landscape of leisure, culture and commerce, known as West Village, is the work of architect Liu Jiakun, who has been named as the recipient of this year’s Pritzker prize, the world’s highest accolade in architecture.

While many architects expand career horizons globally, Chinese architect Liu Jiakun, who is also the 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate, was engrossed in designing a mixed-use courtyard complex in his hometown of Chengdu,

Pritzker Architecture Prize has been awarded to Liu Jiakun of China, who earned the field’s highest honor for “affirming architecture that celebrates the lives of ordinary citizens.”

Liu, known for understated structures that respond to their surroundings, has been awarded the profession’s highest honor.

Liu Jiakun, Chinese architect and founder of Jiakun Architects since 1999, is the 54th winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the highest international recognition in the field of architecture.

The Chinese architect was recognized by the jury for his ability to draw on every site’s unique heritage and challenges.

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