Liu Jiakun facts for kids

Liu Jiakun (born 1956) is a famous Chinese architect. He is known for designing buildings that are simple, human-friendly, and fit well with their surroundings. In 2025, he won the important Pritzker Prize for architecture.

Early Life and Education

Liu Jiakun was born in 1956 in Chengdu, China. When he was 17, he worked as a laborer in the countryside. He first wanted to be an artist. But he became interested in architecture because it also involved drawing and design. In 1982, he earned a degree in architecture from Chongqing University.

Career in Architecture

After college, Liu Jiakun worked at a state-owned design company. Later, he explored art and writing in Tibet and Xinjiang. In 1993, he decided to return to architecture.

In 1999, he started his own company, Jiakun Architects, in Chengdu. His firm has completed over 30 projects across China. These projects include schools, cultural centers, and city planning designs.

Designing with Local Ideas

Liu Jiakun's buildings often use local materials and traditional building methods. He likes designs that are simple and fit into their surroundings. He avoids fancy or showy styles. His work often shows the beauty of things that are not perfect.

After the big 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Liu Jiakun used rubble from damaged buildings. He turned this rubble into new materials for construction. This helped show how strong the community was.

He designed the "Memorial to Hu Huishan." This memorial honors a 15-year-old girl who died when her school collapsed in the earthquake. The building looks like a tent. It holds some of Hu's personal items, like a scarf and a backpack.

Notable Buildings and Projects

In 2002, Liu Jiakun designed the Luyeyuan Stone Sculpture Art Museum in Chengdu. It looks like a traditional Chinese garden. It holds a private collection of old Buddhist relics.

He also worked on the Shuijingfang Museum in 2013. This museum was built where a 600-year-old distillery once stood. It teaches about the history of Chinese Baijiu liquor. His Museum of Clocks shows different clocks. They mark the end of the Cultural Revolution in China.

For businesses, he designed the Shanghai campus for the company Novartis in 2014. This building mixes traditional Chinese looks with a modern style. It has many balconies on different levels.

His 2015 project, "West Village" in Chengdu, is a public space. It has offices, places for fun, sports, and culture. It looks modest and simple, unlike the tall buildings nearby. This village block has walking paths, green areas, and bike paths. Liu Jiakun also designed a maternity ward at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. He also designed the Suzhou Museum of Imperial Kiln Brick.

Images for kids

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  West Village – Chengdu (2015)

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  Teahouse at the Jinhua Architecture Park (2002)

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  Hu Huishan Memorial Museum (2008)

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  Museum of Contemporary Art, Chengdu (2011)

Exhibitions and Global Recognition

Liu Jiakun's designs have been shown all over the world. They have been seen at the Venice Architecture Biennale. He also had his own show at Berlin's AEDES Gallery. In 2018, he was asked to design the Serpentine Pavilion in Beijing. This brought him international attention.

Awards and Achievements

In 2025, Liu Jiakun won the Pritzker Architecture Prize. This is a very important award in architecture. He was the third Chinese architect to receive it. The Pritzker jury praised Liu's respect for culture, history, and nature. They said his work tells stories and makes people feel comfortable. They also said his designs are modern versions of classic Chinese architecture.

See also

In Spanish: Liu Jiakun para niños