Looking at the history of the Pritzker Prize, three major geographical phases can be identified: from 1979 to 1994, North America dominated; from 1995 to 2010, Europe took center stage; and over the past fifteen years, Asia has become the new epicenter. Since 2010, eight Asian winners—five Japanese, two Chinese, and one Indian—have testified to the trajectories of architectural innovation. This geographical reading is no coincidence; rather, it reflects the evolution of the discipline in parallel with global economic, social, and cultural transformations.

Asia, now at the forefront of the international scene, has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to reinterpret its own architectural and landscape heritage in a contemporary key, responding with new design strategies to urbanization, environmental crises, and the need for innovative housing models. This year, the Pritzker Prize was awarded to Liu Jiakun, a recognition that reaffirms the growing significance of Chinese architecture in the global discourse. In recent years, the prize has increasingly honored architects who draw inspiration from the cultural and geographical context of their practice, transforming local techniques and materials into tools for innovation.

China, in particular, represents a unique experimental laboratory where architecture develops on vastly different scales. From hyper-dense metropolises to the most remote villages, many others could have been contenders for the Pritzker Prize, including Neri & Hu, known for their work in adaptive reuse and transformation of existing structures; Vector Architects, led by Dong Gong, whose work poetically integrates architecture and landscape; and MAD Architects, who have absorbed and catalyzed the complexities of their contexts—especially through the manifesto of the “Shanshui City”—to redefine the relationship between nature and urbanization. Additionally, firms such as Urbanus and Trace Architecture Office, among others, are reshaping the role of architecture in both urban and rural Chinese settings. However, three figures, in particular, might have been deserving of the Pritzker for their ability to synthesize local culture and experimental research into projects that influence global architectural discourse.

Architecture in Asia is experiencing an extraordinary era, one that extends beyond the large-scale structural transformation of society. It finds a unique synthesis between tradition and global perspectives—one unmatched in the current historical moment. If the Pritzker Prize in recent years has recognized architects capable of portraying a complex and multifaceted view of contemporary reality through their projects, it would not be surprising if China continues to play a leading role in global architectural discourse, with new figures poised to redefine the language and paradigms of the discipline.