Tokyo-based architect Shigeru Ban has been named the 2026 winner of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Gold Medal. The announcement came on December 4, 2025, recognizing Ban’s career with lasting influence on architecture.
The AIA singled out Ban’s use of renewable materials like paper and timber, and his humanitarian work through Voluntary Architects’ Network (VAN). Founded in 1995 after the Kobe earthquake, VAN has delivered over 50 projects across 23 countries, offering emergency shelters and partitions for refugees and disaster-affected communities.
Ban’s works include the Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand, built using recycled cardboard tubes, and the Swatch Omega Campus in Biel, Switzerland, showcasing sustainably harvested timber. His long career as an educator at institutions like Harvard, Cornell, and Columbia University has shaped new generations of architects.
The AIA Gold Medal, established in 1907, celebrates architects with significant impact on theory and practice. Ban’s selection highlights his technical innovations and social conscience, serving people, communities, and the environment.
Image Courtesy: Parametric Architecture
