410 works selected for the 2026 Mies van der Rohe Awards

Smiljan Radic Clarke was born in Santiago de Chile in 1965. He studied at the Catholic University of Chile's School of Architecture, where he graduated in 1989. Later, he studied at the Institutto di Architettura di Vezia, Italy. After travelling for three years, he opened his own practice in Santiago in 1995. In 2001 he was named ‘Best under 35 year old architect’ by the Chile College of Architects, and in 2009 he was appointed as an honourary member of the American Institute of Architects, USA.

Smiljan Radic has lectured extensively and has mounted several architecture exhibitions on his work, including in 2013 - The Wardrobe and the Mattress, Hermes Gallery, Tokyo, Japan; Bus Stop for Krumbach, Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria; Ilustraciones, Galeria AFA, Santiago; in 2012 - An Orange Tree Noise at the Hiroshima Museum of Contemporary Art, Japan and in 2010 Global Ends, Ma Gallery in Tokyo, 2010, and People Meet in Architecture, with sculptor Marcela Correa at the 12th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice. Smiljan Radic has won numerous contests such the Regional Theatre (Concepción, 2011) and the Telecomunication Tower (Santiago, 2014). His work has been published in several architecture journals and monographs, the most recent being El Croquis N° 167, Madrid, Spain. He currently lives and works in Chile.

dekleva gregoric architects was set up by Aljoša Dekleva (b.1972) and Tina Gregorič (b. Kranj, Slovenia, 1974) in 2003 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. It is an international architecture studio, operating both in the EU and the USA.

Both founders received their postgraduate Master’s degrees in Architecture with Distinction from the renowned Architectural Association in London, where they initiated their research on participation, responsive environments, and mass customisation. They later documented this research in their acclaimed book Negotiate My Boundary!

Their studio design philosophy revolves around “research by design” and “design by research,” encompassing various modes (spatial, social, material, historical, etc.), different scales and programs, as well as diverse climates and localities. Understanding the specific constraints and conditions of the context serves as the fundamental generative tool, aiming to challenge the obvious and offer specific responses. They utilise a systematic design approach to establish an intense structuring of space and to challenge the use of materials by exposing their primary natures. Prioritising user experience, participation, and interaction, the studio fosters new forms of collectivity and customisation while addressing contemporary social and environmental challenges. Their portfolio spans diverse typologies, from experimental houses to large affordable housing neighbourhoods, university campuses, public buildings, and cultural institutions.

Key projects include the XXS House (2004), Clifftop House in Maui (2012), Compact Karst House (2015), Science Centre (2019), Affordable Housing in Novo Brdo (2022), and the Pavilion of Slovenia for Expo Osaka (2024). These projects have received prestigious accolades such as the Architizer and WAN House of the Year awards, the AR House Award 2015, the WALLPAPER* award for Best Breakthrough Designers, as well as nominations for the Mies van der Rohe and Swiss architectural awards, and the recent 2024 Buildner Unbuild Award. Their work has been celebrated worldwide for redefining tradition, materiality, and sustainability.

Besides their architectural practice, Aljosa and Tina play a significant role in architectural education. Tina holds the position of Full Professor of Architecture and Chair at the Institute of Architecture, Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien). Aljosa is the Programme Head for the AA Nanotourism Visiting School at the Architectural Association in London. In 2019, they both served as the Frank Gehry International Visiting Chairs in Architectural Design at the University of Toronto. They lead research initiatives like nanotourism, which offers a participatory, community-oriented alternative to conventional tourism, and actively lecture and exhibit worldwide. As curators of the Slovenian Pavilion at the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale, they addressed critical issues of home and dwelling with Home at Arsenale, a curated library and site-specific spatial installation exploring the concept of home in contemporary society.

Nikolaus Hirsch (b. Karlsruhe, Germany, 1964)is an architect, curator, editor, and educator. Since autumn 2020, he has been the Artistic Director of the architecture museum CIVA in Brussels, and previously was the Dean of Städelschule and Director of Portikus in Frankfurt.

He has taught at the Architectural Association in London, Institut für Angewandte Theaterwissenschaften at Giessen University, HfG Karlsruhe, Penn University in Philadelphia, and Columbia University in New York. His architectural work includes the award-winning Dresden Synagogue, Bockenheimer Depot Theater (with William Forsythe), unitednationsplaza (with Anton Vidokle), Cybermohalla Hub in New Delhi, and “Do We Dream Under The Same Sky“ (Art Basel, LUMA Arles).

Hirsch curated numerous exhibitions at Portikus, and „ErsatzStadt“ at Volksbühne Berlin (2005), “Cultural Agencies” (Istanbul, 2009/10), “Folly” for the Gwangju Biennale (2013), and “Housing Question” at the HKW in Berlin (2015).

He is the author of the books “On Boundaries” (2007), "Institution Building" (2009), “Cybermohalla Hub” (2012), co-editor of the Critical Spatial Practice series at Sternberg Press and co-founder of e-flux architecture.

Photography by Armin Linke.