Author of works such as the Serpentine Pavilion and the Teatro Regional del Biobío, the Chilean architect is recognized for projects that investigate landscape, materiality, and experience in contemporary architecture
Submitted at Mar 12, 2026, 12:26 PM
Smiljan Radić Clarke é o 55º laureado do Prêmio Pritzker. (Reprodução/CASACOR)
The Chilean architect Smiljan Radić Clarke was announced as the winner of the 2026 Pritzker Architecture Prize, considered the most important award in world architecture. Born in Santiago, he becomes the 55th laureate of the prize, which recognizes living architects whose work makes significant contributions to humanity and to the built projects.
Guatero, para a Bienal de Arquitetura Chilena. (Cristóbal Palma /CASACOR)
The selection acknowledges a trajectory of more than three decades marked by projects that eschew a fixed architectural language and investigate the relationship between matter, landscape, and human experience. In this way, Radić develops each work as a singular investigation, shaped by the cultural, social, and geographic context of the place. According to the prize jury, his architecture operates “at the intersection of uncertainty, material experimentation, and cultural memory”.
Pite House. (Hisao Suzuki/CASACOR)
Founder of his own studio in 1995, Smiljan Radić has built a practice known for exploring the tension between durable structures and seemingly ephemeral constructions. In his projects, materials such as concrete, stone, wood, and glass are used to shape light, weight, and atmosphere, resulting in buildings that privilege the sensory experience.
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion. (Iwan Baan/CASACOR)
This approach often makes his works appear unfinished or provisional — a deliberate choice that reflects his view that architecture should engage in dialogue with time, with the landscape, and with human presence.
Copper House. (Cristobal Palma/CASACOR)
The architect himself describes his practice as an attempt to create experiences capable of interrupting everyday indifference, inviting people to perceive the world with greater attentiveness.
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion. (Iwan Baan/CASACOR)
Among Smiljan Radić’s best-known projects is the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion (2014), installed in Kensington Gardens, London. The temporary structure combines a translucent fiberglass shell set upon large natural stones, creating a space that oscillates between sculpture and architectural shelter.
Teatro Regional del Biobío. (María González/CASACOR)
Another striking project is the Teatro Regional del Biobío (2018), one of the country’s leading cultural facilities. The building is wrapped in a semi-transparent skin that filters natural light and contributes to the theater’s acoustic performance, highlighting the technical care present in his work.
Restaurante Mestizo. (Reprodução/CASACOR)
Radić has also gained recognition for projects that engage directly with the Chilean landscape, such as the Mestizo Restaurant (2006), partially embedded in the terrain to preserve its relationship with the surroundings, and the Pite House (2005), designed to protect the projects from the coastal winds.
House for the Poem of the Right Angle. (Smiljan Radić/CASACOR)
Among his residential works, the House for the Poem of the Right Angle (2013), in Vilches, stands out, conceived as a contemplative retreat set within the forest and defined by openings oriented to capture the light and the passage of time.
Guatero, para a Bienal de Arquitetura Chilena. (Cristobal Palma/Estudio Palma/CASACOR)
His production also includes installations and experimental projects, such as Guatero, Bubble for the XXII Chilean Architecture Biennial (2023), an inflatable structure created for the Chilean Architecture Biennial.
Ampliação do Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino. (Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino/CASACOR)
Among his interventions in cultural heritage is the expansion of the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino (2013), where the new underground structure was conceived as a discreet extension of the historic building.
O arquiteto chileno Smiljan Radić Clarke foi anunciado como vencedor do Prêmio Pritzker de Arquitetura de 2026. (Reprodução/CASACOR)
Despite international recognition, Smiljan Radić’s studio maintains a lean structure, which the architect considers essential to preserve the experimental freedom of his projects.
Nuvem inflável criada para um desfile da marca Alexander McQueen. (Reprodução/CASACOR)
His work also extends to installations, residences, and cultural spaces in different countries, including France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Along this path, his architecture has taken shape as a continuous investigation into how buildings can engage with time, nature, and the cultural layers of each place.
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion. (Reprodução/CASACOR)
With the 2026 Pritzker, Smiljan Radić reinforces the presence of Chile on the global stage of contemporary architecture. In recent decades, the country has garnered international recognition for a production marked by experimentation, sensitivity to context, and a strong relationship with the landscape. By awarding Radić, the jury of the Pritzker Architecture Prize recognizes a body of work that challenges established formulas and reaffirms the role of architecture as a sensory, cultural, and human experience.
