The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced that Níall McLaughlin, the Irish architect, educator, and writer, will receive the 2026 Royal Gold Medal for architecture.
One of the world’s highest honours in the field, the medal – bestowed on behalf of His Majesty the King – recognises Níall’s resounding impact spanning architectural practice, thinking, writing, and education.
With over 30 years in practice, Níall’s body of work displays a remarkable consistency, regardless of scale or budget, shaped by a deep sensitivity to place, material, craft, light and form, and by an enduring commitment to the quality of space. His dedication to education reflects the same sustained commitment to the future of the discipline.
The RIBA Honours Jury 2026 hailed Níall as a “pivotal figure in contemporary architecture”, whose work “not only enriches the architectural profession but also addresses its evolving challenges.” His projects “challenge conventional notions of architecture and regeneration, illustrating a visionary approach that prioritises environmental and cultural considerations.”
Grounded in the belief that success is collective, Níall’s work is marked by a deliberate modesty. His practice has created a portfolio of outstanding projects ranging from the cloud-like Bandstand at Bexhill (2001); the calm orthogonal pavilions of the Alzheimer’s Respite Centre in Dublin (2011); the latticed timber oval of the Bishop Edward King Chapel in Oxford (2013) to the very simple brick volumes of The New Library Magdalene College (2021).
Having taught at The Bartlett School of Architecture for over 25 years, amid stints at The University of California Los Angeles (2012-2013), and as Lord Norman Foster Visiting Professor of Architecture at Yale (2014-2015), Níall’s commitment to education sets an exemplary standard within the profession. An advocate for young architects, transparency in working hours and pay, and openness around mental health, he demonstrates through both practice and pedagogy, a model way of working.
On hearing the news, Níall 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.”
RIBA President and Chair of the 2026 RIBA Honours Jury, Chris Williamson, said: “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.”
A public lecture will take place with Níall in London on 30 April 2026.
The 2026 RIBA Honours Jury was chaired by RIBA President Chris Williamson and comprised of 2025 Royal Gold Medal recipient Kazuyo Sejima of SANAA, Anna Liu of Tonkin Liu, Isabel Allen, Editor, Architecture Today and Victoria Farrow, Architect and Subject Lead in Architecture and the Built Environment at Leicester School of Architecture, De Montfort University
