Architecture News

SANAA Wins 2025 RIBA Royal Gold Medal

3_Sejima & Nishizawa 2 (c) Aiko Suzuki.jpg — *Photo © Aiko Suzuki*

Architects & Firms

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) announced SANAA as the recipient of the 2025 RIBA Gold Medal. Pritzker Prize-winning architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa’s firm was cited by the institute for “producing works that bring simplicity, light, and elegance to the fore” and reshaping “the global design landscape.”

“We are delighted and very honored to receive the Royal Gold Medal,” the architects said. “We have always believed that architecture can transform and repair environments, helping us to relate to our surroundings, nature, and each other.”

In its citation, RIBA praised SANAA’s projects such as New York’s New Museum (2007), the Rolex Learning Centre in Lausanne (2010), the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan (2004), and the Sydney Modern in Australia (2022) as examples of SANAA"s ability to "blend transparency with solidity, uniting public and private spaces" that are "bold yet respectful of the local environment."

Rolex Learning Centre in Lausanne (1); Sydney Modern in Australia (2); 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan (3). Photos © Alain Herzon (1); Iwan Baan (2); SANAA (3)

“Exemplifying an unassuming yet impactful leadership in the evolving practice and theory of architecture, SANAA’s designs demonstrate that architecture can balance functionality with profound elegance,” said Muyiwa Oki, president and chair of the 2025 RIBA Honours Committee. “True pioneers in the field, their unwavering commitment to sustainable, user-centered design has quietly blazed a trail for others, setting an inspiring standard for the future of our built environment.”

Lesley Lokko, 2024 RIBA Gold Medal winner; architect and BIG founder Bjarke Ingels; and Sadie Morgan, architect and co-founding director of dRMM, were also on the 2025 committee.

Founded in 1995 by Sejima and Nishizawa, Tokyo-based SANAA’s international practice spans residential and institutional projects, interior and product design, and urban planning. Its work, like the Louvre-Lens in France (2012), Bocconi School of Management in Milan (2019), and the Grace Farms Foundation headquarters in New Canaan (2015), is typically defined by clean lines, minimalist facades, and thoughtful engagement with the environment.

Louvre-Lens in France (1); Bocconi School of Management in Milan (2); Grace Farms in New Canaan, Connecticut (3). Photos © SANAA (1-2); Iwan Baan (3)

“Throughout our careers we have tried to make spaces that bring people together, inviting them to imagine new ways of living and learning collectively,” a statement from SANAA read. “Architecture is always teamwork, and we are very grateful to everyone who has given us opportunities to develop these ideas over the years, and to all those people who have worked tirelessly with us to realize them.”

The RIBA Gold Medal has been awarded since 1848 and is presented annually in recognition of a person or group’s “significant influence either directly or indirectly on the advancement of architecture.” Recent winners have included Grafton Architects (2020), David Adjaye (2021), Balkrishna Doshi (2022), and Yasmeen Lari (2023).

The 2025 prize will be presented at a public celebration on May 1.

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Dante A. Ciampaglia is Senior Editor at Architectural Record. He has two decades experience editing print and digital magazines, including at Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, and Time. He has been a contributor to Architectural Record for more than 10 years, writing about the intersection of architecture, film, and the visual arts. His work has also been published by the Washington Post, Paris Review, Wired, Los Angeles Review of Books, Metropolis, and the Brooklyn Rail, among others.