The Pritzker Prize was awarded to architect Smiljan Radić Clarke

New York – This year’s Pritzker Prize for architecture has been awarded to Chilean creator Smiljan Radić Clarke. Organizers announced this on Thursday. According to the jury, the work of the Chilean architect expresses architecture that provides a deep and lasting contribution to humanity. Radić Clarke's buildings are characterized by a careful selection of materials and volumes, respect for the landscape, and a democratic ethos. Radić primarily creates in his native Chile, and he is also known for his realization of the summer pavilion for London's Serpentine Gallery in 2014.

"In Radić's architecture, monumental presence is transformed through fragility, lightness, and apparent instability, which are achieved not only by scale but also by atmosphere, material tension, and spatial intensity,” the jury stated about the work of the Chilean architect.

The jury also appreciated the work with materials and the emphasis on volumes and the integration of the work into the landscape. "Radić presents architecture more as a guest than as a master of the place, recognizing the primacy of the landscape and, in a broader sense, the collective memory and shared territory over individual authorship,” the jury’s statement said.

The work of the Chilean architect, according to the jury’s reasoning, reminds us that "architecture is the art that touches the very essence of human existence,” and allows architecture to "embrace imperfection and fragility.” The buildings "offer a tranquil refuge in a world whose shape is created by uncertainty.”

"It is an incredible honor,” said the architect, who also expressed concern that the award would bring him a great deal of media attention, which he did not desire.

Radić, whose ancestors come from Croatia and Britain, studied architecture and art in Chile and Venice. He opened his studio in Santiago de Chile in 1995. He works on projects for both private investors and museum and public institutions. Among his well-known works are the regional theater building in the Chilean city of Concepción, the Mestizo restaurant building in Chile, and architectural installations in London and Venice. In 2017, he founded the Fundación de Arquitectura Frágil (Foundation of Fragile Architecture). Radić still has his studio in his home country and often works abroad.

The Pritzker Architecture Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in the field of architecture, was founded in 1979 by businessman Jay Pritzker and his wife Cindy. The award includes a bronze medal and $100,000 (2.4 million CZK).