Irish architect Níall McLaughlin has been awarded the 2026 Royal Gold Medal by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), recognising his positive impact across architectural thinking, writing and education. Níall McLaughlin (Image credit: Niall McLaughlin)Níall McLaughlin is awarded the 2026 RIBA Royal Gold Medal'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,' remarked RIBA president Chris Williamson, chair of the award jury, which also included 2025 Royal Gold Medal recipient Kazuyo Sejima of SANAA. Sultan Nazrin Shah Centre, Oxford (Image credit: Nick Kane)His own immense personal curiosity enables him to observe the world far beyond its physical qualities. Darbisher Place housing for the Peabody Trust, London (Image credit: Nick Kane)Rather than impose his own ideology on that information, he allows ideology to emerge from those insights. The International Rugby Experience, Limerick (Image credit: Nick Kane)For McLaughlin, teaching provides that necessary balance between practice and theory.