UNESCO’s International Day of Light on May 16 recognized the 2026 Daylight Award laureates. The award supports research into the scientific understanding of daylight and its importance for health, well-being, ecosystems, and architectural design. Two categories were awarded: Daylight in Architecture and Daylight Research. Japanese architects Momoyo Kaijima and Yoshiharu Tsukamoto of Atelier Bow-Wow received the architecture honor for demonstrating how daylight shapes shared spaces and everyday life. Marine biologists Brittany N. Zepernick, Steven W. Wilhelm, and R. Michael McKay received the research honor for studying aquatic microorganisms and their implications for planetary health and biodiversity. The Daylight Academy presents the award to encourage collaboration across disciplines involved in daylight research and practice.
"Established to support research into the scientific understanding of daylight and its significance for health, well-being, ecosystems, and architectural design, the award recognizes achievements in two categories: Daylight in Architecture and Daylight Research. This year, Japanese architects Momoyo Kaijima and Yoshiharu Tsukamoto of Atelier Bow-Wow were honored for demonstrating how daylight can shape shared spaces and everyday life, while marine biologists Brittany N. Zepernick, Steven W. Wilhelm, and R. Michael McKay of the United States and Canada were recognized for their research on aquatic microorganisms and their implications for planetary health and biodiversity."
"The Daylight Award is presented by the Daylight Academy (DLA), an international organization that brings together scientists, architects, engineers, and other professionals engaged in daylight-related research and practice. The initiative seeks to foster collaboration across disciplines traditionally considered separate fields of expertise, promoting an integrated understanding of daylight's role in human life and the broader ecosystem. In this context, the 2026 laureates were recognized by the jury for "revealing daylight as a shared condition shaping both how we inhabit dense urban environments and how microscopic life sustains planetary systems.""
"The 2026 Daylight Award for Architecture was presented to Japanese architects Momoyo Kaijima and Yoshiharu Tsukamoto, founders of the Tokyo-based practice Atelier Bow-Wow, which they lead alongside partner Yoichi Tamai. The award acknowledges their long-standing exploration of the relationship between architecture, daylight, climate, and everyday life through what they describe as "Architectural Behaviorology." Since founding the practice in 1992, their projects have examined how architecture responds to dense urban"
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