The Pritzker Prize falters due to the Jeffrey Epstein case

In the world of architecture, March usually begins with one of the most high-profile announcements of the year: the annual declaration of who will receive the Pritzker Prize, widely regarded as the Nobel Prize of architecture. However, a few days ago, unexpected news disrupted the anticipated announcement, and the organizers decided to postpone the release of this year’s laureate.

The publication on January 30 of more than three million documents by the U.S. Department of Justice, including new details and another batch of emails from Jeffrey Epstein, led many to predict a media earthquake in the architectural world, as the disgraced figure’s connections with architectural patrons and architects came to light, their names appearing in the magnate’s correspondence.

The decision came after Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced on February 16, in a public statement, the resignation of Tom Pritzker—son of the prize’s founders, Jay and Cindy Pritzker—as executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation, following the disclosure of the links and emails contained in the released documents.

Pritzker Architecture Prize medallion (Dianna/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain).

The 2026 Pritzker Architecture Prize will not be announced in March, but at a later date, the Pritzker Foundation said this week.

Following the January 30 release by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) of more than three million emails related to Epstein, various U.S. media outlets uncovered documents and references to patrons among the case’s emails (a detailed account of the messages, which reveal Tom Pritzker’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, was published in The Architect’s Newspaper). In addition to Tom Pritzker, the correspondence also mentioned Gensler and prominent architects such as Richard Meier, Frank Gehry, Neri Oxman, Peter Marino, Renzo Piano, Joi Ito, Philippe Van Den Broek, and Kevin Ouvre. The documents left many questions regarding how those involved would respond, since mere inclusion in the papers did not, in itself, imply any wrongdoing.

On February 16, Hyatt announced that Tom Pritzker, a real estate heir with a net worth of $6.3 billion, would step down from his position as executive chairman of the Board of Directors of Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

The following day, February 17, Pritzker stated, regarding his association with Epstein and Maxwell: “I exercised terrible judgment in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner. I condemn the actions and the harm caused by Epstein and Maxwell and I feel deep sorrow for the pain they inflicted on their victims.”

On Tuesday of that same week, February 24, it was reported that Epstein had attempted to secure a venue for the 2019 Pritzker Architecture Prize ceremony, the year Arata Isozaki received the award.

In a statement shared with The New York Times, the Pritzker Foundation asserted its independence from Tom Pritzker: “The jury, composed of internationally respected professionals from a range of disciplines, has always and will continue to conduct its work confidentially and free from external influence.”

Tom Pritzker remains a director and vice chairman of the Pritzker Foundation; a director and chairman of the Pritzker Family Philanthropic Fund; and a director and chairman of the Hyatt Foundation, which established the Pritzker Architecture Prize.

The Pritzker Architecture Prize was established in 1979 by Tom Pritzker’s father, Jay Pritzker. Previous laureates include some of the most renowned figures in architecture: Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry, Richard Rogers, Norman Foster, Rem Koolhaas, Álvaro Siza, and Tadao Ando. Last year, the prize was awarded to Chinese architect Liu Jiakun.