Shigeru Ban, Hon. FAIA, has been named the recipient of the 2026 American Institute of Architects Gold Medal, the organization's highest individual honor. The award goes to architects whose work leaves a lasting imprint on the profession. For Ban, that imprint comes through material experimentation and decades of humanitarian commitment.
Born in Tokyo in 1957, Ban opened Shigeru Ban Architects there in 1985 and later expanded internationally.
His practice does something unusual. It treats permanent cultural buildings and emergency shelters with equal seriousness. The same care and invention appear in both. This approach has redefined what architecture can accomplish and who it serves.
Much of Ban's work centers on materials most architects overlook. His early experiments with paper tubes started as a way to reduce waste in exhibition design. Those experiments became a structural system. Today, paper tubes support shelters, cultural buildings, and public works around the world. The Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch proves that humble materials can create spaces of genuine strength and dignity.
Cardboard Cathedral - Christchurch, New Zealand
Ban has also pioneered mass timber construction at an impressive scale. The Swatch and Omega Campus in Biel, Switzerland, completed in 2019, uses sustainably sourced Swiss wood throughout multiple buildings. The project shows how large workplaces can honor environmental responsibility while meeting ambitious structural goals.
Swatch and Omega Campus in Biel, Switzerland
His humanitarian work started after the 1995 Kobe earthquake. Ban founded the Voluntary Architects' Network (VAN) to respond to disasters and support refugees. VAN has completed over 50 projects across 23 countries. From paper log houses to lightweight partitions that restore privacy in emergency shelters, each project reflects a core belief: architectural knowledge carries social responsibility.
Shigeru Ban Awarded the 2026 AIA Gold Medal
Shigeru Ban, Hon. FAIA, has been named the recipient of the 2026 American Institute of Architects Gold Medal, the organization's highest individual honor. The award goes to architects whose work leaves a lasting imprint on the profession. For Ban, that imprint comes through material experimentation and decades of humanitarian commitment.
Born in Tokyo in 1957, Ban opened Shigeru Ban Architects there in 1985 and later expanded internationally.
His practice does something unusual. It treats permanent cultural buildings and emergency shelters with equal seriousness. The same care and invention appear in both. This approach has redefined what architecture can accomplish and who it serves.
Much of Ban's work centers on materials most architects overlook. His early experiments with paper tubes started as a way to reduce waste in exhibition design. Those experiments became a structural system. Today, paper tubes support shelters, cultural buildings, and public works around the world. The Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch proves that humble materials can create spaces of genuine strength and dignity.
Cardboard Cathedral - Christchurch, New Zealand
Ban has also pioneered mass timber construction at an impressive scale. The Swatch and Omega Campus in Biel, Switzerland, completed in 2019, uses sustainably sourced Swiss wood throughout multiple buildings. The project shows how large workplaces can honor environmental responsibility while meeting ambitious structural goals.
Swatch and Omega Campus in Biel, Switzerland
His humanitarian work started after the 1995 Kobe earthquake. Ban founded the Voluntary Architects' Network (VAN) to respond to disasters and support refugees. VAN has completed over 50 projects across 23 countries. From paper log houses to lightweight partitions that restore privacy in emergency shelters, each project reflects a core belief: architectural knowledge carries social responsibility.
Beyond the AIA Gold Medal, Shigeru Ban's recognitions include the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2014, the Princess of Asturias Award for Concord in 2022, and the Praemium Imperiale for Architecture in 2024.
The AIA Gold Medal medal will be presented at the AIA Conference on Architecture and Design in 2026.
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