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RIBA Names Níall McLaughlin Recipient of 2026 Royal Gold Medal

The lifetime honor recognizes a three-decade practice defined by sensitivity to place with a focus on users.

Overview

  • The Royal Institute of British Architects announced the award on Thursday, with jury chair and RIBA president Chris Williamson praising McLaughlin as a humble visionary.
  • The honors jury highlighted the social relevance of Darbishire Place for the Peabody Trust and noted the 2022 Stirling Prize for the New Library at Magdalene College as a landmark of recent work.
  • McLaughlin’s portfolio spans faith, education, health and housing, including the Bishop Edward King Chapel in Oxford and the Alzheimer’s Respite Centre in Dublin.
  • An educator for more than 25 years at The Bartlett School of Architecture, he has also held visiting posts at UCLA and Yale and was appointed an honorary MBE in 2020.
  • McLaughlin describes his approach as rooted in empathy and the creation of meaning for communities, emphasizing material, light and careful attention to users.