Media

The Department of Architecture of The University of Hong Kong (HKU) proudly presents “On Land”, a lecture by Chengdu-based architect Liu Jiakun, laureate of this year’s Pritzker Architecture Prize, on 19 May 2025.

In this distinguished lecture, Liu will discuss the multiple themes in his architectural design, through a series of his works across mainland China: symbiosis with nature, responsiveness to local conditions, spiritual continuity with tradition, dialogue between past and present, community sharing, and the interplay between collective and individual memories.

Members of the media are welcome to attend this event. Details are as follows:

Date: 19 May, 2025 (Monday)
Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm (Light refreshments will be served at 5:45 pm)
Speaker: Liu Jiakun, Founder and Principal of Jiakun Architects
Venue: Rayson Huang Theatre, HKU (Map)
Language: Putonghua (with simultaneous interpretation in English)

With a focus on social reality and a respect for local context and vernacular craftsmanship, Liu Jiakun aims to address contemporary architectural issues with a sense of realism – an approach inspired by folk wisdom – in each project. His vision remains open to China’s multi-traditions. Believing in the compatibility of tradition and modernity, Liu devotes himself to translating traditional Chinese cultural ethos into contemporary architectural language, conveying a fine quality of intertexture between individual and collective memories. He consistently upholds a pure belief in meeting human needs and continuously explores appropriate technologies in architecture. Many of these projects illustrate the reciprocal relationship between the public life of the Chinese people and urban cultural space.

Liu’s projects have been exhibited at the 15th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, the 56th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, and many other international exhibitions. He designed the inaugural Serpentine Pavilion Beijing commissioned by Serpentine Galleries (London) in 2018. Among the many architectural awards he has received are: Chinese Architecture Art Award (2003), Far Eastern Architectural Design Award (2007 & 2017), ASC Grand Architectural Creation Award (2009), WAN Civic Buildings Award (2017), UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation (2021), and German Design Award – Gold (2022). Liu has been invited to lecture at top institutions in China and beyond, including MIT, Royal Academy of Arts, Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine, and Palais de Chaillot in Paris. In 2023, he founded Yulin Song · Project Space with the aim of creating an idealistic, professional, and experimental platform for design exchange. In 2025, Liu was awarded the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize.

This event is supported by the Andrew K F Lee Lectureship in Architecture Design.

For registration and more details, please visit: https://www.arch.hku.hk/event_/jiakun-liu/

For media enquiries, please contact Ms Karen Lee, Programme Manager (Events and Publicity), Department of Architecture, HKU (Tel: 3917 2136 / E-mail: karenkl@hku.hk).