The 2025 Pritzker Prize, Liu Jiakun has left an indelible mark across China, designing large-scale projects such as museums, cultural institutions, parks, and urban regeneration initiatives.
Born in Chengdu in 1956, Liu Jiakun witnessed the city’s rapid transformation before pursuing his studies at the Chongqing University of Architecture and Engineering (now Chongqing University), where he earned his degree in Architectural Engineering in 1982.
With a career spanning decades, Liu Jiakun has left an indelible mark across China, designing large-scale projects that include museums, cultural institutions, parks, and urban regeneration initiatives.
His work primarily focuses on densely populated cities, where creating accessible and meaningful public spaces can be particularly challenging.
The Grand Canal Hangzhou Steelworks Park, a project set to complete its first phase in 2025, exemplifies Liu Jiakun’s philosophy of merging history with contemporary functionality. Located on the grounds of a former steel factory with a legacy spanning 70 years, the site was left dormant after its closure in 2016.
Rather than erasing its past, Liu Jiakun’s design preserves much of the original industrial environment while reimagining the space as a vibrant social and economic hub. By repurposing historical structures and respecting the site’s heritage, the project transforms an abandoned factory into a cultural landmark, seamlessly blending the past with the future.
In 2020, Liu Jiakun led the renovation of the Tianbao Cave District in Erlang Town, Luzhou, an area renowned for its natural liquor storage caves, including Tianbao Cave, Dibao Cave, and Renhe Cave—the largest of their kind in the world.
The design strategy employs literary narration to structure various spatial elements, crafting an immersive, storytelling-like experience for visitors.
Through carefully orchestrated spatial contrasts—light and shadow, openness and enclosure, fluidity and structure—the design enhances the journey through the caves, enriching the sensory and cultural engagement with the site.
Located at the heart of Songyang County, the Novartis Shanghai Campus C6 Building sits within the historic Confucian Temple and Chenghuang Temple district, which has been a center for public and spiritual activities for generations.
Over time, the district suffered from environmental decline and economic downturn, stripping it of its former vibrancy.
Liu Jiakun’s intervention seeks to restore historical continuity by thoughtfully evaluating the condition of existing structures and implementing a layered conservation approach.
This enables architectural elements from various eras to coexist harmoniously, preserving the site’s collective memory while revitalizing its function as a cultural and social focal point.
Situated at the entrance of Bailuwan Ecological Wetland in Sichuan, the Lancui Pavilion draws inspiration from the traditional Chinese “Ge” (pavilion) typology.
Designed to appear as if floating above the natural landscape, the structure features expansive overhanging eaves that create an elegant and airy form.
Glass-enclosed service areas provide panoramic views of the wetland, while the extended eaves offer visitors a comfortable semi-outdoor space to enjoy the surroundings. The pavilion seamlessly integrates with its environment, embodying Liu Jiakun’s ability to merge tradition with modernity in a way that enhances both function and aesthetics.
Through his diverse portfolio, Liu Jiakun continues to redefine the relationship between architecture, history, and urban transformation, making his work a testament to innovation and cultural preservation.
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