Certain architects are well renowned around the world. Key to building this architectural “hall of fame” are the awards presented by prestigious institutions, foundations, and cultural organizations, whose number has grown over time alongside the increasing complexity of urban environments and the emergence of new, influential figures. Whether serving as career milestones or affirming remarkable accomplishments, these awards spotlight the work and research of contemporary architects, contributing to the mythos of today’s “archistars” – the architectural gods of our time. Many such architects have collaborated with the editorial team at Domus, and some have even contributed as guest editors. This esteemed roster includes Pritzker laureates like Jean Nouvel, David Chipperfield, and Tadao Ando; AIA 2021 winner Toshiko Mori; and Compasso d’Oro winners Michele De Lucchi and Alessandro Mendini, a longstanding editor of Domus, the magazine founded by Gio Ponti, a legendary figure whose influence transcends awards. These prizes not only celebrate the work of prominent individuals – often supported by firms of talented designers whose names struggle to emerge in a pyramid structure the design world will have to come to terms with, sooner or later – but also provide a snapshot of contemporary architectural trends, new aesthetics, innovations in eco-sustainable, high-performance materials, and design solutions that respond to the needs of our time.
10 most important architecture prizes in the world and how to enter
From the Pritzker Prize, the Nobel Prize of architecture, and the Biennale's Golden Lion to the Aga Khan Prize to the Italian Architecture Prize, here’s the awards selection that celebrate architects and their projects.
Hiroshima Nishi Fire Station, photo courtesy of Tomio Ohashi
Neue Nationalgalerie refurbishment. By David Chipperfield Architects Berlin. Client Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz represented by the Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung. Award RIBA International Awards for Excellence 2024
Gabriel García Márquez Library by SUMA Arquitectura. Barcelona, Spain. Photo by Jesús Granada
“Terra”. 18th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, The laboratory of the Future. Photo by Matteo de Mayda. Courtesy: La Biennale di Venezia
The partition system erected in Lviv and Kumamoto after the flooding that hit the island of Kyushu. Photo Voluntary Architects’ Network
David Lake e Ted Flato, The Marine Education Center highlights coastal building techniques that harmonize with the surrounding marine environment in ways that are resilient, sustainable, and durable. Photo Casey Dunn
SANAA, Rolex Learning Center (EPFL). Photo Nicolas Nova on Flickr
H Arquitectes, Social Housing 1737, Gavà, Cataluna, Spain. Photo Adrià Goula
Kamanar Secondary School, Thionck Essy, Senegal. Aga Khan Trust for Culture / Photo Amir Anoushfar
Winery Ceresé in Montevecchia, Lecco, Italy, 2023. Photo Francesca Iovene
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- Francesca Critelli
- 14 November 2024
Regarded as the “Nobel Prize” of architecture, the Pritzker Prize is the field’s most prestigious honor. Each year, it recognizes an architect or design firm for a profound and lasting contribution to architecture. As a testament to its exclusivity, direct applications are not permitted. In 2024, Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto was awarded for his philosophy that “spaces must be created by the resolve of people.”
The internationally recognized Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) promotes architectural excellence worldwide, awarding several international projects each year that push the boundaries of design. Nominations are open via the RIBA website, where selected entries advance through stages of judging. After announcing the winners, at the end of the year an additional award is given to a single project that stood out. Currently, we are waiting to hear the announcement among the finalists: David Chipperfield Architects Berlin, Peris + Toral Arquitectes, and O-office Architects.
The European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture, also known as the Mies van der Rohe Award, celebrates exemplary European projects biennially. Architects cannot apply directly; instead, experts nominate projects that are then reviewed by a jury. This year’s winning projects – the Gabriel García Márquez Library by Suma Arquitectura and the Studio TU Braunschweig Pavilion by Gustav Düsing and Max Hacke – both showcase architecture’s ability to cultivate inclusive spaces.
The Venice Biennale stands as a landmark event for the global architecture community, and next year’s Biennale Architettura, to be curated by Carlo Ratti, is also already eagerly anticipated. Each year, the Golden Lion is awarded to a standout pavilion and an exhibit within the central pavilion: here’s the 2023 winners.
Sponsored by the Japan Art Association, the Praemium Imperiale honors achievements in the arts, including architecture, alongside painting, sculpture, music, and theater worldwide. Nominees are proposed by international advisory committees, with no option for direct application. During the last edition, the Praemium Imperiale was awarded to architect Shigeru Ban, known for his commitment in humanitarian architecture design.
The highest individual honor is the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Gold Medal awarded to architects of lasting influence, including icons like Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, and Louis I. Kahn. Candidates must be nominated by AIA members. In 2024, the award went to David Lake and Ted Flato, celebrated for how “through the confluence of nature, beauty, and resilience, [they] have made sustainability exciting in a way few other architects have accomplished.”
This new award, named after the French designer and established by the Créateurs Design Association & Awards in 2022, celebrates architects and designers who carry forward Charlotte Perriand’s innovative legacy. Past recipients include David Adjaye, Jeanne Gang, and Frida Escobedo, in addition to SANAA and Ryue Nishizawa announced as the 2025 winners.
Dedicated to social housing projects in the 27 countries of the European Union, the UK and Switzerland, this award, organized by the Order of Architects of Milan, honors designs from the past five years that champion innovative solutions of collective living, inclusivity, and sustainability. Firms can apply via the Order’s website. Here, the most recent winning projects.
Founded in 1977 by the wished of Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, this award is presented every three years to projects that “set new standards of excellence in architecture, planning practices, historic preservation and landscape architecture.” Submissions are open through the Aga Khan Award’s official site, where architects can submit their projects with significant social and cultural impact. The last edition, held in 2022, celebrated projects ranging from Bangladesh to Senegal. We’ll be waiting for the next winners, which will be selected by an already-appointed jury, and announced in 2025.
Sponsored by MAXXI and Triennale Milano, this prestigious prize annually alternates between Rome and Milan, celebrating architectural achievements within Italy. The prize comprises three categories: the award for the best building or intervention completed in the past three years by an Italian architect or a professional based in Italy, the Under 35 Prize, and the Lifetime Achievement Prize. Architects can apply or be nominated through affiliated institutions. Discover the 2024 winners here.