Dear PA reader,

Níall McLaughlin has been awarded the 2026 RIBA Royal Gold Medal, recognizing a body of work defined by craft, material restraint, and long-term architectural thinking. At the same time, Ai-Da’s debut as the first humanoid robot credited with an architectural project signals a new phase in AI’s role, shifting from a design aid to an emerging creative author.

James Turrell’s Roden Crater advances as a rare, decades-long exploration of light and perception, while Iris van Herpen’s Brooklyn Museum exhibition positions fashion as a form of spatial and technological research. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s decision to scale back Neom and The Line signals a major recalibration, showing how financial realities and shifting national priorities are reshaping even the most ambitious urban megaprojects.

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RIBA Announces Níall McLaughlin as 2026 Royal Gold Medal Winner

Ai-Da Makes Architectural History with the World’s First Robot-Designed Structure

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Oka Architecture Wraps CIRCULUS Atelier in a Knitted 3D-Printed Façade in Tokyo

IAAC Prototypes a New Academic Chapter as Barcelona Becomes World Capital of Architecture 2026

Artwork 45 Years in the Making, Roden Crater by James Turrell

Iris van Herpen Exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum Presents “Sculpting the Senses”

The Line Scaled Back as Saudi Arabia Rethinks Neom

Washington Dulles International Airport Overhaul Proposals by ZHA, Adjaye, and Grimshaw

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