Chilean architect Smiljan Radic has been named the 2026 Pritzker Prize laureate, architecture's highest honor. The 60-year-old Santiago-based architect is known for his modest, understated designs that favor fragility over certainty. His work includes projects ranging from bus stops to wineries, all characterized by a humble sense of harmony and unadorned elegance.

Radic's selection comes amid controversy surrounding Pritzker Prize director Tom Pritzker's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The prize announcement was delayed as Pritzker resigned from his role at Hyatt Hotels, though he remains involved with the Pritzker Foundation. The award includes a bronze medallion and $100,000.

Working primarily in Chile, Radic's projects include the Vik Millahue Winery with its fabric roof and the Teatro Regional del Biobío, which envelops concrete in a semi-translucent skin. His 2014 Serpentine Pavilion in London brought him international attention, but most of his work has been created under the radar. Radic describes his approach as stripping work "to its bones," reducing excess to achieve austerity. Born in Santiago in 1965, he studied architecture at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and later at the Institute of Architecture of Venice, where his interest in architecture truly began.