The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced that Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, founders of the practice SANAA, will receive the 2025 Royal Gold Medal for architecture. Awarded on behalf of His Majesty the King, the medal is one of the highest honors in the field, recognizing what RIBA describes as SANAA's contribution to shaping contemporary architecture through simplicity, light, and refined design.
According to the 2025 RIBA Honors Committee, SANAA's work has helped establish "a universal language of architecture that resonates with people everywhere." In fact, RIBA has credited the practice with balancing innovation and sensitivity to local environments, stating that their approach demonstrates how architecture can be both functional and elegant while providing a sense of calm in an increasingly complex world.
SANAA is also recognized for its emphasis on inclusivity and accessibility. RIBA highlights the practice's use of transparency and natural light to create spaces that integrate with their surroundings and foster human connection. With projects across multiple countries, SANAA's portfolio includes a variety of cultural and institutional buildings.
Among their most well-known works are the New Museum in New York and the Rolex Learning Center in Lausanne, which RIBA notes as examples of their sensitivity to local context. Their designs often feature minimalist exteriors that contrast with carefully considered interiors, reflecting what RIBA describes as a balance between simplicity and complexity.
SANAA's designs demonstrate that architecture can balance functionality with elegance. According to the Honors Committee, their work reflects a consistent and clear approach to sustainable, user-centered design, setting an inspiring standard for the future of our built environment. Their projects illustrate how architecture can create a sense of joy and belonging while connecting people to the spaces they inhabit. --RIBA President and Chair of the 2025 RIBA Honors Committee, Muyiwa Oki
Other projects cited by RIBA include the Dior Omotesando Store in Japan (2003), the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa (2004), Zollverein School of Design in Germany (2006), Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in the UK (2009), Louvre-Lens in France (2012), Grace Farms in the USA (2015), and Sydney Modern in Australia (2022).
We are delighted and very honored 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 sought to create spaces that bring people together, inviting them to imagine new ways of living and learning collectively. --Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA
A public event marking SANAA's achievement is scheduled to take place in London on May 1, 2025. The 2025 RIBA Honors Committee, chaired by RIBA President Muyiwa Oki, included 2024 Royal Gold Medal recipient Lesley Lokko, architect and founder of BIG Bjarke Ingels, and architect and co-founding director of dRMM Sadie Morgan OBE. In 2023, Professor Yasmeen Lari received the Royal Gold Medal for her contributions to zero-carbon self-build concepts for displaced communities. Before this, Balkrishna Doshi earned the honor in 2022 for his visionary urban planning and social housing projects, seamlessly blending modernism with Indian vernacular.
