Leading Architects Still Practicing in 2026

Leading Architects Still Practicing in 2026: Shaping Today’s Built Environment

While legendary architects of the past laid foundations for modern architecture, today’s living architects continue to push boundaries, address contemporary challenges, and redefine what architecture can be. From sustainable design to digital fabrication, from social housing to iconic cultural landmarks, these architects are actively shaping our cities and communities right now. Here’s a comprehensive guide to some of the most important architects still working in 2026.

Pritzker Prize Winners Still Practicing

The Pritzker Architecture Prize, often called the “Nobel Prize of Architecture,” recognizes living architects whose built work demonstrates talent, vision, and commitment. Many recent winners remain highly active.

Norman Foster (Born 1935, Age 91)

British architect and founder of Foster + Partners, one of the world’s largest and most influential architecture firms. Known for high-tech architecture with emphasis on sustainability and structural innovation.

Notable works: 30 St Mary Axe/”The Gherkin” (London), Hong Kong International Airport, Millau Viaduct (France), Apple Park (California), Hearst Tower (New York)

Current focus: Continues to lead Foster + Partners, working on sustainable skyscrapers, airports, and urban planning projects worldwide. Active in exploring how architecture can address climate change.

Pritzker Prize: 1999

Renzo Piano (Born 1937, Age 88)

Italian architect known for combining high-tech elements with sensitivity to context and light. His buildings are refined, technically sophisticated, and often transparent, celebrating the act of making.

Notable works: Centre Pompidou (Paris, with Richard Rogers), The Shard (London), Whitney Museum of American Art (New York), Kansai International Airport (Japan), California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco)

Current focus: Renzo Piano Building Workshop continues working on museums, cultural centers, and urban projects worldwide. Piano remains involved in design, emphasizing sustainable materials and social responsibility.

Pritzker Prize: 1998

Frank Gehry (Born 1929, Age 96)

Canadian-American architect famous for sculptural, deconstructivist buildings with curving metallic forms. His expressive, sometimes controversial buildings have become iconic landmarks.

Notable works: Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (Spain), Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles), Dancing House (Prague), Fondation Louis Vuitton (Paris), MIT Stata Center (Boston)

Current focus: Frank Gehry Partners continues producing culturally significant buildings, including museums, concert halls, and institutional projects. At 96, Gehry remains remarkably active and engaged in design.

Pritzker Prize: 1989

Rem Koolhaas (Born 1944, Age 81)

Dutch architect, theorist, and urbanist who founded OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture) and its research counterpart AMO. Known for intellectual rigor, innovative programming, and challenging architectural conventions.

Notable works: CCTV Headquarters (Beijing), Seattle Central Library, Casa da Música (Porto), De Rotterdam, Garage Museum of Contemporary Art (Moscow)

Current focus: Continues leading OMA on major projects worldwide while researching urbanism, preservation, and the countryside through AMO. His theoretical work remains as influential as his buildings.

Pritzker Prize: 2000

Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron (Born 1950, Ages 75-76)

Swiss architects who co-founded Herzog & de Meuron, known for innovative use of materials and transforming traditional building types. Their work ranges from intimate to monumental.

Notable works: Tate Modern conversion (London), Beijing National Stadium/”Bird’s Nest” (Olympics), Elbphilharmonie (Hamburg), de Young Museum (San Francisco), Allianz Arena (Munich)

Current focus: Herzog & de Meuron continues expanding globally with cultural buildings, residential towers, and innovative material research. They remain deeply involved in all projects.

Pritzker Prize: 2001

Thom Mayne (Born 1944, Age 81)

American architect and founder of Morphosis Architects, known for complex, angular buildings that challenge conventional forms. His work is intellectually rigorous and formally adventurous.

Notable works: Caltrans District 7 Headquarters (Los Angeles), Emerson College Los Angeles, Cooper Union academic building (New York), Phare Tower (Paris), Perot Museum of Nature and Science (Dallas)

Current focus: Morphosis continues work on institutional, educational, and cultural buildings, exploring sustainable design and advanced fabrication technologies.

Pritzker Prize: 2005

Jean Nouvel (Born 1945, Age 80)

French architect known for contextually responsive buildings that use light, materials, and cultural references in sophisticated ways. Each building is unique, designed specifically for its site and purpose.

Notable works: Arab World Institute (Paris), Torre Agbar (Barcelona), Louvre Abu Dhabi, Musée du quai Branly (Paris), 100 11th Avenue (New York)

Current focus: Ateliers Jean Nouvel continues working on museums, towers, and cultural projects worldwide, with Nouvel maintaining hands-on involvement in design conceptualization.

Pritzker Prize: 2008

Peter Zumthor (Born 1943, Age 82)

Swiss architect known for poetic, sensory architecture that emphasizes atmosphere, materials, and phenomenological experience. His relatively small output is meticulously crafted and deeply contemplative.

Notable works: Therme Vals (Switzerland), Bruder Klaus Field Chapel (Germany), Kolumba Museum (Germany), Steilneset Memorial (Norway)

Current focus: Works deliberately slowly on select projects, including the still-developing Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) expansion. Continues teaching and writing about architectural atmosphere.

Pritzker Prize: 2009

Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA (Born 1956 and 1966, Ages 69 and 59)

Japanese architects who work independently and collaboratively as SANAA. Known for ethereal, minimalist buildings with innovative use of transparency, lightness, and spatial fluidity.

Notable works: 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art (Kanazawa), New Museum (New York), Louvre-Lens (France), Grace Farms (Connecticut), Rolex Learning Center (Switzerland)

Current focus: Both architects remain active—Sejima with her office, Nishizawa with his, and collaboratively through SANAA—creating refined, innovative buildings primarily in Japan and internationally.

Pritzker Prize: 2010 (jointly)

Shigeru Ban (Born 1957, Age 68)

Japanese architect renowned for humanitarian work, innovative use of unconventional materials (especially paper and bamboo), and structural creativity. Creates both temporary disaster relief shelters and permanent cultural buildings.

Notable works: Centre Pompidou-Metz (France), Cardboard Cathedral (New Zealand, post-earthquake), Aspen Art Museum (Colorado), numerous disaster relief structures

Current focus: Continues balancing commercial projects with humanitarian architecture, developing sustainable building systems and responding to global disasters with innovative temporary structures.

Pritzker Prize: 2014

Alejandro Aravena (Born 1967, Age 58)

Chilean architect and founder of ELEMENTAL, known for socially engaged architecture, particularly incremental housing that allows residents to complete and customize their homes over time.

Notable works: Quinta Monroy housing (Chile), UC Innovation Center (Chile), St. Edward’s University dormitories (Texas), various social housing projects

Current focus: ELEMENTAL continues working on social housing, educational buildings, and public infrastructure, particularly in Latin America. Aravena advocates for architecture’s social responsibility.

Pritzker Prize: 2016

Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem, and Ramon Vilalta / RCR Arquitectes (Born 1961, 1962, 1960, Ages 64-65)

Spanish architects working collaboratively from Catalonia. Known for poetic buildings that integrate landscape, use industrial materials sensitively, and create powerful spatial experiences.

Notable works: Bell-Lloc Winery (Spain), Soulages Museum (France), La Cuisine Art Center (France), Els Colors Kindergarten (Spain)

Current focus: RCR continues working primarily in Europe on cultural buildings, wineries, and public spaces that demonstrate their distinctive approach to materiality and landscape.

Pritzker Prize: 2017

Balkrishna Doshi (1927-2023)

Note: Doshi passed away in January 2023 at age 95

Arata Isozaki (1931-2022)

Note: Isozaki passed away in December 2022

Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal (Born 1955 and 1954, Ages 70-71)

French architects known for sustainable, economical architecture that prioritizes generosity of space, light, and views. Famous for transforming social housing rather than demolishing it.

Notable works: Tour Bois le Prêtre transformation (Paris), Palais de Tokyo renovation (Paris), Latapie House (France), FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais (France)

Current focus: Lacaton & Vassal continues work on housing transformations, cultural buildings, and educational projects, advocating against demolition and for architecture that improves residents’ quality of life.

Pritzker Prize: 2021

Francis Kéré (Born 1965, Age 60)

Burkina Faso-born, Germany-based architect who creates sustainable, community-focused buildings using local materials and labor. First African architect to win the Pritzker Prize.

Notable works: Gando Primary School (Burkina Faso), Serpentine Pavilion 2017 (London), Startup Lions Campus (Kenya), National Assembly of Benin

Current focus: Kéré Architecture works on educational, cultural, and institutional buildings in Africa and internationally, emphasizing sustainability, community engagement, and climate-appropriate design.

Pritzker Prize: 2022

David Chipperfield (Born 1953, Age 72)

British architect known for refined, understated modernism with careful attention to context, materials, and craftsmanship. His work balances contemporary design with respect for history.

Notable works: Neues Museum reconstruction (Berlin), Royal Academy of Arts renovation (London), James Simon Gallery (Berlin), Kunsthaus Zürich expansion

Current focus: David Chipperfield Architects maintains offices globally, working on museums, cultural buildings, master planning, and urban projects, with Chipperfield actively involved in design direction.

Pritzker Prize: 2023

Riken Yamamoto (Born 1945, Age 80)

Japanese architect known for “community architecture” that breaks down barriers between public and private space, creating buildings that foster social interaction and community formation.

Notable works: Yokosuka Museum of Art, Saitama Prefectural University, Tianjin Library, Hotakubo Housing (Kumamoto), numerous university buildings

Current focus: Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop continues working on educational, cultural, and residential projects that embody his philosophy of creating architecture that builds community.

Pritzker Prize: 2024

Other Influential Architects Still Practicing

Beyond Pritzker laureates, numerous architects continue making significant contributions to the field.

Steven Holl (Born 1947, Age 78)

American architect known for phenomenological architecture that explores light, space, and materiality. His watercolor sketches guide conceptual development of spatially innovative buildings.

Notable works: Linked Hybrid (Beijing), Nelson-Atkins Museum expansion (Kansas City), Kiasma Museum (Helsinki), Chapel of St. Ignatius (Seattle)

Current focus: Steven Holl Architects continues work on cultural and educational buildings worldwide, with Holl maintaining hands-on design involvement and producing conceptual watercolors for each project.

Daniel Libeskind (Born 1946, Age 79)

Polish-American architect known for angular, deconstructivist buildings often addressing memory, history, and Jewish heritage. His emotionally charged designs challenge conventional forms.

Notable works: Jewish Museum Berlin, Denver Art Museum extension, Royal Ontario Museum extension (Toronto), World Trade Center master plan (New York)

Current focus: Studio Libeskind works on cultural buildings, residential towers, and memorial projects worldwide, with Libeskind remaining actively involved in conceptual design.

Bjarke Ingels (Born 1974, Age 51)

Danish architect and founder of BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), known for innovative, programmatically complex buildings that address sustainability through creative design rather than technology alone. His “pragmatic utopian” approach makes ambitious ideas buildable.

Notable works: 8 House and VM Houses (Copenhagen), VIA 57 West (New York), Google headquarters (with Heatherwick Studio), CopenHill waste-to-energy plant with ski slope (Copenhagen), The Spiral (New York)

Current focus: BIG continues rapid expansion with projects worldwide—from masterplans to skyscrapers to product design—addressing climate change, urbanism, and innovative building types. One of the most prolific major architects working today.

Jeanne Gang (Born 1964, Age 61)

American architect and founder of Studio Gang, known for environmentally sustainable, socially conscious architecture with innovative structural systems. One of today’s most prominent female architects.

Notable works: Aqua Tower (Chicago), Writers Theatre (Illinois), American Museum of Natural History expansion (New York), O’Hare International Airport expansion (Chicago)

Current focus: Studio Gang works on cultural, civic, educational, and residential projects, emphasizing environmental performance, community engagement, and material innovation. Gang is increasingly influential in American architecture.

Thomas Heatherwick (Born 1970, Age 55)

British designer-architect known for innovative, sculptural projects that blur boundaries between architecture, product design, and engineering. His work emphasizes craft, materiality, and inventiveness.

Notable works: UK Pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010, Vessel at Hudson Yards (New York, currently closed), Zeitz MOCAA (Cape Town), new London buses, Google headquarters (with BIG)

Current focus: Heatherwick Studio works on buildings, urban planning, infrastructure, and products, continuing to push boundaries between disciplines with creative, often controversial projects.

Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio / Diller Scofidio + Renfro (Born 1954 and 1935, Ages 71 and 90)

American architectural partnership (with partner Charles Renfro) known for conceptually rigorous, culturally engaged projects that question architectural conventions and explore perception.

Notable works: High Line park (New York), Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston), Lincoln Center renovation (New York), The Broad museum (Los Angeles), The Shed (New York)

Current focus: DS+R continues work on major cultural institutions, public spaces, and academic buildings, maintaining their intellectually challenging approach while delivering successful public projects.

Moshe Safdie (Born 1938, Age 87)

Israeli-Canadian-American architect known for modular housing concepts and humanistic approach to urban design. Famous for his 1967 Expo housing complex that launched his career.

Notable works: Habitat 67 (Montreal), Marina Bay Sands (Singapore), Crystal Bridges Museum (Arkansas), Jewel Changi Airport (Singapore), Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum (Jerusalem)

Current focus: Safdie Architects works on cultural institutions, mixed-use developments, airports, and residential projects worldwide, with Safdie maintaining design oversight and continuing to advocate for thoughtful urbanism.

Tod Williams and Billie Tsien (Born 1943 and 1949, Ages 82 and 76)

American architectural partnership (married couple) known for contemplative, carefully crafted buildings with emphasis on materiality, light, and human experience.

Notable works: Barnes Foundation (Philadelphia), Obama Presidential Center (Chicago, under construction), Asia Society Hong Kong Center, American Folk Art Museum (New York, demolished)

Current focus: Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects continues work primarily on cultural and educational buildings, maintaining their commitment to thoughtful, materially rich architecture.

Wang Shu (Born 1963, Age 62)

Chinese architect and first Chinese citizen to win the Pritzker Prize. Known for using recycled materials and traditional construction techniques to create contemporary buildings rooted in Chinese architectural traditions.

Notable works: Ningbo History Museum (China), Xiangshan Campus of China Academy of Art (Hangzhou), Fuyang Cultural Complex

Current focus: Amateur Architecture Studio (with wife Lu Wenyu) continues working primarily in China, exploring relationships between tradition and modernity, urban and rural, past and present.

Pritzker Prize: 2012

Toyo Ito (Born 1941, Age 84)

Japanese architect known for lightweight, ephemeral structures that explore relationships between physical and virtual worlds. His fluid, often white buildings create serene, contemplative spaces.

Notable works: Sendai Mediatheque (Japan), TOD’S Omotesando Building (Tokyo), National Taichung Theater (Taiwan), Tama Art University Library (Tokyo)

Current focus: Toyo Ito & Associates continues work on cultural and educational buildings, with Ito also engaging in post-disaster reconstruction and mentoring younger Japanese architects.

Pritzker Prize: 2013

Amanda Levete (Born 1955, Age 70)

British architect and founder of AL_A, known for fluid forms, innovative materials, and contextually responsive design. Former partner at Future Systems with Jan Kaplický.

Notable works: MAAT Museum (Lisbon), V&A Exhibition Road Quarter (London), Central Embassy (Bangkok), MPavilion 2015 (Melbourne)

Current focus: AL_A works on cultural buildings, infrastructure, and urban projects internationally, with Levete pushing technological and formal boundaries while maintaining design refinement.

Ma Yansong (Born 1975, Age 50)

Chinese architect and founder of MAD Architects, known for organic, futuristic forms inspired by nature. Creating a distinctly Chinese contemporary architecture that challenges Western modernist conventions.

Notable works: Harbin Opera House (China), Absolute Towers/”Marilyn Monroe Towers” (Canada), Ordos Museum (China), Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (Los Angeles, under construction)

Current focus: MAD Architects works internationally on cultural buildings, residential towers, and urban projects, developing their “Shanshui City” philosophy that integrates nature with high-density urbanism.

Tatiana Bilbao (Born 1972, Age 53)

Mexican architect known for socially conscious, economically sustainable architecture. Works on both low-cost housing and high-profile cultural buildings with equal commitment.

Notable works: Pilgrimage Route Chapel (Mexico), Botanical Garden in Culiacán (Mexico), various social housing prototypes, Hunter’s Point Community Library (New York)

Current focus: Estudio Tatiana Bilbao works on housing, cultural, and educational projects, particularly in Mexico, continuing to address social inequality through thoughtful, economical design.

Carme Pinós (Born 1954, Age 71)

Spanish architect known for sculptural, materially rich buildings. Former partner of Enric Miralles, she’s established her own significant practice with bold, contextually engaged work.

Notable works: Caixaforum Zaragoza (Spain), Cube Towers (Guadalajara, Mexico), Zona Dos (Mexico), MPavilion 2018 (Melbourne)

Current focus: Estudio Carme Pinós works internationally on cultural buildings, mixed-use developments, and urban projects, particularly in Europe and Latin America.

Michael Maltzan (Born 1959, Age 66)

American architect known for innovative social housing, cultural buildings, and thoughtful urban interventions, primarily in Los Angeles. Creates sophisticated architecture addressing social issues.

Notable works: Star Apartments (Los Angeles supportive housing), Hammer Museum renovation (Los Angeles), Pittsburg Civic Arena (California), Inner-City Arts campus (Los Angeles)

Current focus: Michael Maltzan Architecture continues work on cultural, educational, and residential projects, particularly supportive and affordable housing that demonstrates architecture’s social potential.

Kengo Kuma (Born 1954, Age 71)

Japanese architect known for integrating traditional Japanese materials and construction methods with contemporary design. Creates serene buildings that blur boundaries between interior and exterior.

Notable works: Japan National Stadium for Tokyo Olympics, Nagaoka City Hall, V&A Dundee (Scotland), Starbucks stores worldwide, Portland Japanese Garden Cultural Village

Current focus: Kengo Kuma & Associates has become one of Japan’s largest and most internationally active firms, working on cultural buildings, hotels, retail, and residential projects worldwide.

Annabelle Selldorf (Born 1960, Age 65)

German-American architect known for refined, contextually sensitive buildings, particularly art galleries and museums. Her understated elegance allows art and occupants to take center stage.

Notable works: Neue Galerie (New York), Sunset Park Material Recovery Facility (Brooklyn), Frick Collection renovation (New York, underway), numerous gallery renovations

Current focus: Selldorf Architects works on museums, galleries, residential, and institutional buildings, maintaining a commitment to craftsmanship, materiality, and spatial clarity.

Emerging Voices (Younger Generation)

Frida Escobedo (Born 1979, Age 46)

Mexican architect known for work that explores time, memory, and context through innovative use of materials and light. First woman to design the annual Serpentine Pavilion solo.

Notable works: Serpentine Pavilion 2018 (London), La Tallera Siqueiros renovation (Mexico), Hotel Boca Chica renovation (Mexico), Metropolitan Museum of Art Modern Wing renovation (underway)

Current focus: Works on cultural and residential projects internationally, bringing fresh perspective to contemporary architecture while honoring cultural heritage.

Lina Ghotmeh (Born 1980, Age 45)

Lebanese architect known for architecture inspired by archaeology and memory. Her “Archaeology of the Future” concept creates buildings deeply connected to place and history.

Notable works: Estonian National Museum (with DGT Architects), Stone Garden (Beirut), Serpentine Pavilion 2023 (London)

Current focus: Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture works on cultural and residential projects, exploring how architecture can respond to ecological and social challenges while honoring memory.

Sumayya Vally (Born 1990, Age 35)

South African architect and founder of Counterspace, the youngest architect ever to design the Serpentine Pavilion (2021, at age 31). Focuses on decolonizing architecture and centering marginalized voices.

Notable works: Serpentine Pavilion 2021 (London), Ruby City Art Center (Texas), various community-engaged projects

Current focus: Counterspace works on cultural buildings and public spaces, emphasizing inclusive design processes and architecture’s social responsibility, particularly regarding African diaspora experiences.

Conclusion: Architecture’s Living Legacy

These architects—and many others not listed here—are actively shaping our built environment right now in 2026. They’re addressing contemporary challenges including climate change, social inequality, rapid urbanization, technological change, and cultural identity. Their work demonstrates architecture’s continued relevance and evolution.

From the nonagenarian masters like Foster and Gehry still producing innovative work to the young emerging voices like Vally bringing fresh perspectives, the architectural profession remains vibrant, diverse, and engaged with pressing global issues. Whether through sustainable skyscrapers, humanitarian shelters, transformed social housing, or contemplative cultural buildings, today’s architects prove that great architecture continues to enhance human life, inspire communities, and point toward more equitable, sustainable futures.

If you’re interested in following contemporary architecture, many of these architects maintain active social media presence, publish books, give lectures, and exhibit their work in museums worldwide. Their buildings—many open to the public—offer opportunities to experience cutting-edge architectural thinking firsthand. The legacy these living architects are building will influence not just today but generations to come.

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