News - Shanghai Jiao Tong University

On June 23rd, the "PRIX VERSAILLES" under UNESCO and the International Union of Architects (UIA) officially announced six buildings for inclusion on the "World’s Most Beautiful Campus list 2025". The Shanghai Jiao Tong School of Design Building, designed by Professor Ruan Xing, Dean of the School of Design, and his team, is the only Asian campus building on the list. Other award-winning institutions include five overseas universities, one located in Australia and the other four located in European countries (the UK, Denmark, Spain, and the Netherlands), including the Gradel Quadrangles, New College, University of Oxford.

Shanghai Jiao Tong School of Design Building

Architect | Studio RUAN Xing, School of Design, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Architect in Charge | RUAN Xing

The Inauguration of Shanghai Jiao Tong School of Design Building © YUAN Su

The hall of Shanghai Jiao Tong School of Design Building © SU Shengliang

West Facade of Shanghai Jiao Tong School of Design Building © SU Shengliang

The jury concluded that the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Design Building merited inclusion on the list of the "Prix Versailles"

“Bedecked with new terracotta façades, the institution reveals itself fully through a judicious dialogue between two seemingly antithetical cultures. The result is a real tribute to design.”

Previous buildings on the list of "World's Most Beautiful Campus" include Gaia at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito, who won the Pritzker Prize in 2013 (2024), and the Marshall Building at the London School of Economics and Political Science in the UK (2022), designed by Irish firm Grafton Architects, recipient of the Pritzker Prize in 2020.

Gaia, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore © NTU Singapore

Marshall Building, London School of Economics and Political Science © Nick Kane

"World’s Most Beautiful Campus list 2022" PRIX VERSAILLES

Along with Shanghai Jiao Tong School of Design Building, five internationally renowned universities' buildings have also been listed on the "World's Most Beautiful Campus List 2025", including the Gradel Quadrangles, New College at University of Oxford in the UK, Engineering and Innovation Place at James Cook University in Australia, Niels Bohr Bygningen at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, LCI Barcelona in Spain, and Herta Mohr at Leiden University in the Netherlands.

Gradel Quadrangles, New College at University of Oxford in the UK © Will Pryce

Engineering and Innovation Place at James Cook University in Australia

Niels Bohr Bygningen at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark © Adam Mork

LCI Barcelona in Spain © Salva Lopez

As of now, the PRIX VERSAILLES has released the list 2025 of the world's most beautiful restaurants, hotels, museums, and campuses. The buildings on the list include the Joslyn Art Museum in the United States, designed by the 1999 Pritzker Prize winning British architect Norman Foster and world-renowned firm Snøhetta, Audeum designed by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, and the Grand Palais in Paris, France.

In December 2025, the PRIX VERSAILLES Committee will hold an award ceremony at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, where the Prix Versailles, Interior or Exterior for each category will be awarded.

The PRIX VERSAILLES was established in 2015 by UNESCO and the International Union of Architects (UIA). This award adopts an expert nomination system and is selected by the Prix Versailles World Jury from outstanding architectural works worldwide. The jury is composed of experts from various fields, including Pritzker Prize winning architects, renowned designers, philosophers, musicians, movie stars, and government officials. There are eight categories in total, including Airports, Campuses, Passenger Stations, Sports, Museums, Emporiums, Hotels and Restaurants. The Prix Versailles is a series of architectural competitions that shine a light on the finest contemporary projects worldwide.

Editor on Duty: Tao Qingxiao

Responsible Editor: Jiang Qianqian, Wang ninghua, Li Xinyu