In a landmark moment for architectural innovation, Beijing-based Xu Tiantian became the first Chinese architect to receive the Wolf Prize in Architecture. Announced on March 10, the 2025 honor recognizes her transformative projects revitalizing rural communities across China through culturally rooted, sustainable design.
Xu, 49, has spent two decades blending traditional techniques with modern solutions through her firm DnA (Design and Architecture). Her signature approach – using local materials and creating communal spaces – has reversed urban migration trends in areas like Fujian Province. 'Her work proves architecture can be both socially conscious and economically catalytic,' the Wolf Foundation noted in its citation.
The Tsinghua University and Harvard-educated architect told KhabarAsia: 'Villages aren’t museums. They need functional spaces that honor heritage while creating new opportunities.' Her projects have boosted tourism and craft industries while preserving cultural identity – a model now studied globally.
This award signals growing international recognition of China’s rural development strategies ahead of key U.N. sustainability benchmarks. For investors and policymakers, Xu’s success highlights untapped potential in community-centric infrastructure projects.
