Japanese duo Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa to pick up prestigious award in recognition of three decades of work
Japanese practice Sanaa has been named the recipient of this year’s RIBA Royal Gold Medal for architecture in recognition of their nearly three decades of work pioneering sustainable and user-centred design.
The collaborative practice, run by architect duo Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, was praised by the 2025 RIBA Honours Committee for shaping “a universal language of architecture that resonates with people everywhere”.
Founded in 1995 and based in Tokyo, the firm’s major works include the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Japan, the New Museum in New York, the Louvre-Lens in France and the Sydney Modern Project in Australia.
Their projects are characterised by simplicity, light, calmness, a careful use of transparency and materiality and a sensitive response to their sites.
RIBA said their works “demonstrate that architecture can be both functional and profoundly elegant, offering a sense of calm amidst an increasingly complex and chaotic world.”
The 2025 RIBA Honours Committee was chaired by RIBA President Muyiwa Oki and comprised of 2024 Royal Gold Medal recipient Lesley Lokko, architect and founder of BIG, Bjarke Ingels, and architect and co-founding director of dRMM, Sadie Morgan.
Oki said: “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.
“True pioneers in the field, their unwavering commitment to sustainable, user-centred design has quietly blazed a trail for others, setting an inspiring standard for the future of our built environment.
“Showing remarkable clarity and consistency over the decades, their work serves as a lasting testament to the transformative power of architecture - to inspire joy, create a sense of belonging, and connect us to the environments we inhabit.”
Sanaa said in a joint statement: “We are delighted and very honoured to receive the Royal Gold Medal. We have always believed that architecture can transform and repair environments, helping us to relate to our surroundings, nature and each other.
“Throughout our careers we have tried to make spaces that bring people together, inviting them to imagine new ways of living and learning collectively.
“Architecture is always teamwork, and we are very grateful to everyone that has given us opportunities to develop these ideas over the years, and to all those people that have worked tirelessly with us to realise them.
“This is a very happy moment for us, thank you.”
The Royal Gold Medal is presented on behalf of His Majesty the King and will be awarded on 1 May this year.
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