The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has named Níall McLaughlin, founder and principal of the London-based practice Níall McLaughlin Architects, as the recipient of the 2026 Royal Gold Medal — one of architecture’s most prestigious lifetime honours, awarded on behalf of His Majesty the King.
According to RIBA, McLaughlin’s body of work demonstrates remarkable consistency, shaped by a profound sensitivity to place, materials, craft, light, and form, alongside an enduring commitment to the quality of space over more than 30 years.
Presented since 1848, the Royal Gold Medal recognises a lifetime contribution to architecture and has previously been awarded to luminaries including Frank Lloyd Wright, Zaha Hadid, Balkrishna Doshi, and SANAA. McLaughlin himself has received numerous accolades, including Young British Architect of the Year (1998), the RIBA Charles Jencks Award for simultaneous contribution to theory and practice (2016), and an Honorary MBE for services to architecture (2020).
The 2026 jury included notable figures such as 2025 Royal Gold Medal recipient Kazuyo Sejima of SANAA, Anna Liu of Tonkin Liu, and Isabel Allen, Editor of Architecture Today.
Chris Williamson, RIBA President and Chair of the 2026 Honours Jury, praised McLaughlin’s humility and influence, noting that his designs, “eclectic in appearance and use, share a sense of care and grace that represent the very best of architecture.”
Responding to the award, McLaughlin described architecture not as the production of singular objects, but as an ongoing performance of development, alteration, and reinvention through lived experience. He emphasised the continuity of practice across generations, the contributions of teachers, students, and collaborators, and the enduring importance of material craft and human rituals, even amid accelerating technological change.
A public lecture by Níall McLaughlin will take place in London on 30 April 2026, offering insights into his design philosophy and notable projects.
About Níall McLaughlin and his notable works
An Irish architect, educator, and writer, McLaughlin has spent more than 30 years developing a practice defined by restraint and precision rather than signature form. The 2026 RIBA Honours Jury described him as a “pivotal figure in contemporary architecture,” highlighting projects that challenge conventional approaches to regeneration while placing environmental and cultural considerations at the heart of design.
His portfolio spans education, housing, health, culture, and religious architecture, with notable projects including:
- Bandstand at Bexhill
- Alzheimer’s Respite Centre, Dublin
- Bishop Edward King Chapel, Oxford
- New Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge (RIBA Stirling Prize 2022 winner)
- Darbishire Place, London (socially responsible and sustainable urban housing benchmark)
Across these diverse projects, his work consistently emphasises material craft, light, and the long-term quality of space.
McLaughlin has also shaped the profession through education. A long-standing professor at the Bartlett School of Architecture, with senior teaching roles at UCLA and Yale, he has championed transparency, mental health awareness, and support for emerging architects.
About Níall McLaughlin Architects
Established in 1990, Níall McLaughlin Architects is a London-based practice designing buildings for education, culture, faith, care, and housing, guided by an approach that sees architecture as learning, craft, and ritual, enduring through human engagement.
