Smiljan Radić Accepts 2026 Pritzker Prize with Speech on Distraction
Chilean architect Smiljan Radić, the 55th laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, delivered his acceptance speech in Mexico City, thanking "architecture itself" and reflecting on the concept of distraction. He cited diverse influences that shaped his architectural imagination, including the black light in Chandigarh, the interior of San Salvatore in Rialto, stone heaps on the Croatian island of Brač, fallen columns of the Temple of Poseidon, abandoned shires across Chile, Kazuyo Sejima's 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale installation "People Meet in Architecture," the traveling Chilean circus, and the silence of water in the cisterns of Hagia Sophia. His speech unfolded as a collage of memories and impressions, celebrating the encounters that accompanied his life and practice.
Key facts
- Smiljan Radić is the 55th Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate.
- The acceptance speech took place in Mexico City.
- Radić opened by thanking architecture itself.
- He spoke about distractions and encounters from art, cities, materials, structures, compositions, landscapes, poetry, nature, forms, stories, and memories.
- Mentions include black light in Chandigarh, San Salvatore in Rialto, stone heaps on Brač, fallen columns of the Temple of Poseidon, abandoned shires in Chile, Kazuyo Sejima's 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale, the Chilean circus, and Hagia Sophia cisterns.
- The speech was described as a tribute to moments, encounters, and distractions.
- Radić is a Chilean architect.
- The Pritzker Architecture Prize is awarded annually.
Entities
Artists
- Smiljan Radić
- Kazuyo Sejima
Institutions
- Pritzker Architecture Prize
- Venice Architecture Biennale
Locations
- Mexico City
- Mexico
- Chandigarh
- India
- San Salvatore in Rialto
- Italy
- Brač
- Croatia
- Temple of Poseidon
- Greece
- Chile
- Venice
- Hagia Sophia
- Turkey