The Hyatt Foundation announced Smiljan Radić Clarke as the 55th Laureate of the 2026 Pritzker Architecture Prize on March 12. After winning the prestigious award, he became the second Chilean to receive the highest honor in architecture, following 2016 laureate Alejandro Aravena. Born in Santiago, Chile, he forged his career by blending his academic knowledge with international exploration at IUAV in Venice. The renowned architect opened his practice, Smiljan Radić Clarke, in Santiago in 1995, where he experimented with research-driven projects in collaboration with his wife, sculptor Marcela Correa.
The Pritzker Prize winner has undertaken numerous projects throughout his career, merging prehistoric elements with modernity and sculptural fragility. Clarke believes that buildings should respect the landscape rather than compete against it. Most of his projects feature large boulders paired with delicate fiberglass and stretched translucent roofs. Let’s take a look at the most notable projects from this Chilean architect.
Guatero, Santiago 2023, Chile
Designed as a temporary atmospheric environment, it features a luminous, bubble-like inflatable form that instantly grabs attention. The architect created this project for the XXII Chilean Architecture Biennial, inspired by a traditional hot water bottle. Its pneumatic, translucent exterior softly diffuses natural light and amplifies sound to create an intimate, inviting ambience.
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2014, London
The Gallery pavilion appears as a floating shell above the lawn of Kensington Gardens, perched on 14-ton quarry stones. Made with a thin layer of white, translucent fiberglass, it gives a fragile weightlessness to the cylindrical structure. The semi-translucent fiberglass layer filters the daylight, giving a soft glow to the interior. The stunning stone-like appearance gives a strong prehistoric charm to its architecture.
Also Read: Exploring the Art of Architecture With Manuela Lucá-Dazio, Pritzker’s Executive Director
House for the Poem of the Right Angle 2013, Chile
Nestled in the dense forest landscape, the House for the Poem of the Right Angle evokes a strong woodland charm. Clarke designed the house as a contemplative retreat with sharp-angled skylight roofs and black concrete walls. The structure looks like a secluded, primitive cave, hidden away from the world. The House for the Poem pays tribute to Le Corbusier’s book of lithographs with its uneven geometry and closed-off vessel design.
Teatro Regional del Biobío 2018, Chile
The 2026 Pritzker laureate built the Teatro Regional del Biobío in Concepción, Chile, together with Eduardo Castillo and Gabriela Medrano, for international competition to design a new regional theater in 2011. Born out of devastation caused by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake, the paper lantern-like landmark serves as a beacon of hope for local people. Its Teflon-coated fiberglass façade glows like a lantern during the night and becomes an unfinished sculpture during daytime.
Vik Millahue Winery 2013, Chile
The Vik Millahue winery, located within Bicentenario Park, Santiago, features a striking architecture that looks like an extension of the landscape. Built by Smiljan Radić Clarke and Loreto Lyon, the winery features a white fabric roof, resembling a large wing, stretched over the valley. Clarke collaborated with his wife, Marcela Correa, to create a sculptural river rock installation within the water mirror plaza. The water mirror plaza works together with the white roof to keep the internal temperature cool, which is crucial for wine fermentation and the cooling process.
