Dong Gong of Vector Architects awarded 2025 Marcus Prize for Architecture

MILWAUKEE_Dong Gong, founder and design principal at Beijing-based Vector Architects has been named the recipient of the 2025 Marcus Prize, one of the world’s leading architecture awards honoring emerging international talent. The prize is administered biennially by the School of Architecture & Urban Planning at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

This award marks the 20th year of the Marcus Prize, established in 2005 through the generosity of Marcus Corporation Foundation. The prize totals $100,000, with $50,000 awarded directly to the winner and $50,000 supporting a collaborative semester-long design studio at UWM with architecture students focusing on a Wisconsin-based project.

“We believe in crafting specific architecture for a specific place and a specific way of life. The Marcus Prize is a profound encouragement for us to persist,” Gong said.

Gong was selected by an international jury from a pool of accomplished nominees representing 13 countries and four continents.

“Vector Architects offers a statement about the value of the architect and of architecture to our contemporary condition,” said jury member Hans E. Butzer, FAIA. “Their work appears to beautifully explore questions of tradition, place, and global drifts, while still being comfortably restless and aspirational.”

The international jury also included:

• Juhani Pallasmaa, SAFA, Hon. FAIA, Int. FRIBA
• Alex Timmer, associate professor at UWM
• David Marcus, CEO of Marcus Investments
• Winifred Elysse Newman, PhD, dean of the UWM College of the Arts & Architecture

“As we celebrate the 20th year of the Marcus Prize, we are honored to recognize Dong Gong for work that shows how thoughtful, site-specific design can enrich communities around the world,” Marcus said. “Marcus Corporation Foundation created this award to connect global architectural talent with Milwaukee, our hometown, and our partners at UWM. Vector Architects’ commitment to place, material and human experience embodies that vision. We look forward to the ideas that will emerge from Dong’s collaboration with UWM students and the lasting impact this work will have on Wisconsin and beyond.”

Gong’s practice has earned international recognition through projects such as Seashore Library (Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China), Yangshuo Sugarhouse Hotel (Guilin, Guangxi, China), renovation of the Captain’s House (Fuzhou, Fujian, China), Pingshan Art Museum (Shenzhen, China), Haibing Center at Nankai University (Tianjin, China), Jingyang Camphor Court (Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, China), and Liyuan Foreign Language Primary School (Shenzhen, Guangdong, China).

Vector Architects’ work has been honored with numerous awards including:

• Architects Regional Council Asia Gold Award (2022)
• Royal Institute of British Architects International Award for Excellence (2021)
• Archmarathon Awards (overall winner, 2016)
• Inclusion in Domus’ “100+ Best Architecture Firms” (2019)

A hallmark of the Marcus Prize is its integration of design excellence with education. As part of the award, Gong will travel to Milwaukee for a public lecture and exhibition and will co-teach a design studio alongside UWM School of Architecture & Urban Planning faculty, giving students direct access to world-class architectural talent.

“I am thrilled to welcome the newest Marcus Prize recipient, Dong Gong, to the university and the city of Milwaukee. We look forward to sharing our rich history and vibrant city,” Newman said. “The Marcus Prize is one of the most significant awards given by a university in the United States. It allows our local community to be part of the global design community. This is great for everyone, but especially our faculty and students.”

Since its inception, the Marcus Prize has honored some of the world’s most influential architects of our time, including Alejandro Aravena (2009) and Diébédo Francis Kéré (2011) – both later recipients of the Pritzker Architecture Prize. Past winners also include Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries (MVRDV); Frank Barkow and Regine Leibinger (Barkow Leibinger); Sou Fujimoto, Joshua Ramus, Jeanne Gang, Tatiana Bilbao, Antón García-Abril and Débora Mesa (Ensamble Studio) and Tiantian Xu (DnA_Design and Architecture).

About the Marcus Prize

Established in 2005, the Marcus Prize is a biennial, international architecture award recognizing the talent and achievements of emerging architects in the early stages of their careers. The award recognizes their past accomplishments and their promise of future contributions to the field. The $100,000 prize is supported by Marcus Corporation Foundation.

About Marcus Corporation Foundation

Marcus Corporation Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Marcus Corporation, , a Milwaukee-based company that operates Marcus Theatres and Marcus Hotels & Resorts. The foundation focuses giving on community-based nonprofits in the greater Milwaukee area with missions that align with its core commitment pillars of economic and community vitality, health and human services, and education and conservation.

About the UWM School of Architecture & Urban Planning

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning in the College of the Arts & Architecture is a pioneering institution dedicated to shaping the future of built environments and communities through innovative design and research. Its award-winning faculty are active collaborators with industry partners, community organizations and municipalities across the Milwaukee-Chicago corridor and beyond, offering a hands-on learning environment where students, scholars and professionals come together to explore and address complex contemporary challenges. SARUP offers an extensive array of programs and is the only accredited school of architecture in Wisconsin.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.