The 2026 Royal Gold Medal of the Royal Institute of British Architects RIBA has been awarded to Irish architect Níall McLaughlin. Over a career spanning more than 30 years, McLaughlin has worked across a wide range of scales and contexts, including religious, educational, healthcare, and residential architecture, earning consistent critical acclaim. His architecture has been shaped by a deep sensitivity to place, material, craft, light, and form, as well as a sustained commitment to the quality of space. Reflected equally in his academic work, the award recognises his positive impact across architectural practice, writing, and education.
The 2026 RIBA Honours Jury described McLaughlin as a “pivotal figure in contemporary architecture,” noting that his work “not only enriches the architectural profession but also addresses its evolving challenges.” They added that his projects “challenge conventional notions of architecture and regeneration, illustrating a visionary approach that prioritises environmental and cultural considerations.”
At the core of McLaughlin’s work is a commitment to creating meaningful architecture. Beyond function, his buildings act as mediators that allow people to experience meaning and foster communication within shared spaces. Rather than emphasising overt symbolism, he focuses on restrained forms, clear order, and the material presence of architecture.
At the Bishop Edward King Chapel 2013, light is organically woven through a timber lattice structure, where a refined formal language structures light to articulate spatial hierarchy. At Deal Pier Cafe 2008 and the Fishing Hut 2014, simple timber structures interact closely with their surrounding environments, with material changes accumulating naturally over time in response to environmental conditions. At the Sultan Nazrin Shah Center 2017, the proportions and order of the timber structure are carefully articulated, while natural light and gently curving forms create a calm interior atmosphere. The New Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge 2021, which won the 2022 Stirling Prize, realises a layered contemporary spatial quality through simple brick volumes that align with the order of the historic campus.
McLaughlin has taught for over 25 years at The Bartlett School of Architecture and has also lectured at UCLA 2012-2013 and served as the Lord Norman Foster Visiting Professor at Yale University 2014-2015. Alongside his long-standing commitment to education, he has played an important role in setting exemplary standards within the profession by advocating for fair labour practices and responsible models of architectural work.
Chris Williamson, RIBA President and Chair of the 2026 RIBA Honours Jury, commented: “It is fitting that Níall is recognised for the resounding impact he has had on the profession. As an educator, he has been an outstanding role model for young architects, while his designs – eclectic in appearance and use – share a sense of care and grace that represent the very best of architecture. Such sustained success has in no way diminished his humility. A humble visionary, his dedication to architecture as an art and professional practice has left an enduring mark on the discipline – one that will undoubtedly transcend trends and time.”
The meaning conveyed through McLaughlin’s architecture is not declared but accumulated through time and practice. Weaving layered experiences through a refined architectural language, and choosing ethics over symbolism and process over finality, his work exists within the ways culture and communal life are shaped.
Níall McLaughlin’s public lecture will take place in London on 30 April 2026. The 2026 RIBA Honours Jury was chaired by Chris Williamson and included Kazuyo Sejima of SANAA, recipient of the 2025 Royal Gold Medal; Anna Liu of Tonkin Liu; Isabel Allen, Editor of Architecture Today; and Victoria Farrow, Architect and Subject Lead in Architecture and the Built Environment at Leicester School of Architecture, De Montfort University.
