The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has named Níall McLaughlin as the recipient of the 2026 Royal Gold Medal for architecture, placing the Irish architect among the most influential figures in the global built environment. Awarded on behalf of His Majesty the King, the medal is one of the highest honours in architecture and recognises McLaughlin’s sustained contribution to architectural practice, education, writing and critical thought over more than three decades.
Announcing the decision, RIBA said the award reflects McLaughlin’s “resounding impact” on the profession, highlighting a body of work defined by sensitivity to place, materiality, craft and light, alongside a long-standing commitment to architectural education and ethical practice. His projects, spanning education, culture, healthcare, housing and religious architecture, are noted for their consistency of intent regardless of scale or budget.
The 2026 RIBA Honours Jury described McLaughlin as a “pivotal figure in contemporary architecture”, stating that his work “not only enriches the architectural profession but also addresses its evolving challenges.” The jury added that his projects “challenge conventional notions of architecture and regeneration, illustrating a visionary approach that prioritises environmental and cultural considerations.”
McLaughlin founded his London-based practice in 1990, following earlier experience at Scott Tallon Walker, and has since developed a portfolio that ranges from the cloud-like Bandstand at Bexhill (2001) to the Alzheimer’s Respite Centre in Dublin (2011), the Bishop Edward King Chapel in Oxford (2013), and The New Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge (2021). The latter went on to win the 2022 Stirling Prize, cementing his reputation within the UK architectural establishment.
Despite the diversity of typology and ambition, RIBA noted a unifying philosophy across his work: an emphasis on clarity of space, elemental geometry and restrained use of materials, combined with a deep consideration for how buildings are inhabited over time. His housing work has also attracted particular attention, notably Darbishire Place for Peabody in London, shortlisted for the 2015 Stirling Prize and widely cited as a benchmark for high-quality social housing.
Alongside practice, McLaughlin has maintained a parallel career in education, teaching for more than 25 years at The Bartlett School of Architecture. He has also held visiting professorships at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Yale University, where he served as Lord Norman Foster Visiting Professor of Architecture. RIBA highlighted his advocacy for young architects, transparency in pay and working hours, and openness around mental health as central to his professional ethos.
Reacting to the announcement, McLaughlin said:
“I am delighted and honoured to receive the 2026 Royal Gold Medal for Architecture.
My team and I view architecture as a continuity of practice across generations. We are grateful to our teachers, who passed on the spirit, and our students, who continually question and transform it. As a small studio, we have grown and learned together. Thank you to all those who have collaborated with us and supported our ideals through commissioning, design, and construction.
Through practice, we have learned that architecture is not the production of singular objects, but an ongoing performance of development, alteration, and reinvention through lived experience. At a time of accelerating technological change in design and construction, we continue to insist on the human rituals and material practices at the heart of our discipline. Building is an act, not an object. Architecture lies in its making and the way that it shapes learning, culture, and communal life.
We accept this recognition with gratitude and with a renewed commitment to live up to its challenge.”
Chris Williamson, RIBA President and Chair of the 2026 RIBA Honours Jury, said the award recognised both McLaughlin’s architectural output and his influence as an educator.
“Always one to credit and uplift those around him, 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.”
McLaughlin was previously awarded the RIBA Charles Jencks Award in 2016 for his simultaneous contribution to theory and practice, and received an Honorary MBE in 2020 for services to architecture. Born in Geneva in 1962 and educated in Dublin, he has consistently argued for an understanding of architecture as a collective, time-based and socially embedded practice.
A public lecture by McLaughlin will take place in London on 30 April 2026 as part of the Royal Gold Medal programme.
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