The adaptive reuse of a Nineteen Seventies theater, an addition to a historic courtyard, a serious city design undertaking at a well-known transit hub, and three different initiatives have been shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize 2026.
Final yr’s Stirling Prize winner was Witherford Watson Mann’s almshouse in London. To have fun its thirtieth anniversary, the 2026 Stirling Prize winner can be introduced at London’s Outdated Billingsgate on October 15.
Under are the six shortlisted initiatives, and quotes from the broader 2026 Stirling Prize jury.
Home at Fairmead, Excessive Seaside, Epping Forest | Sergison Bates architects
Sergison Bates architects designed a contemporary residence based mostly on Georgian and Palladian proportions: A set of rooms are centered round a double-height atrium. The home is confronted with Cumbrian brick, augmented by lime mortar with crushed shell and stone. The facade is perforated with triple-glazed home windows, to offer it a strong thermal envelope. A ground-source warmth pump, air flow system, photo voltaic panels, battery storage, and rainwater administration cut back prices and power consumption.
Julian de Metz, 2026 Stirling Prize east jury chair, had this to say concerning the undertaking:
“Proportions are measured, humane and uplifting. The house feels nearly Moorish with its deep reveals, pure high-quality supplies and masterful dealing with of sunshine.”
BEAM | Bennetts Associates
A movie show constructed within the Nineteen Seventies within the historic downtown of Hertfordshire was partially reused by Bennetts Associates to accommodate a brand new arts and tradition heart. Funded by the East Herts District Council, the renovation undertaking added onto the theater to make approach for extra screening rooms, multi-purpose areas, and a restaurant. Cross-laminated timber was used to border the extension, amongst different sustainable methods taken by Bennetts Associates to cut back carbon emissions.
Julian de Metz known as the undertaking:
“An exemplar of latest civic retrofit and a mannequin of how cultural hubs can act as standard-bearers for the local weather problem.”
Lion Inexperienced Street | Mary Duggan Architects, RUFF Architects
Mary Duggan Architects was the lead designer and RUFF Architects the supply architect of Lion Inexperienced Street, a residential undertaking that delivered 157 models unfold throughout 5 buildings within the London Borough of Croydon. The materiality of the complicated responds to the smaller-scale, adjoining green-belt housing: The architects specified a projected brick element impressed by the English Backyard Bond, deployed within the context. A verdant panorama programs all through the bottom plain.
Susie Le Good, London jury chair, mentioned of the undertaking:
“The landscape-led pavilion association delivers significant public profit whereas providing high-quality amenity for residents and nurturing a powerful sense of neighborhood.”
Paddington Sq. | Renzo Piano Constructing Workshop, Adamson Associates
London Paddington Station data 70 million annual entries and exits. Renzo Piano Constructing Workshop and Adamson Associates reworked the city realm past the station’s south-east facet with the addition of a brand new plaza, Paddington Sq., that changed a slim arrival highway. Paddington Sq. connects to a brand new underground ticket corridor under an 18-story mixed-use constructing, and makes for step-free connectivity with the Bakerloo Underground line, bettering pedestrian movement at one in all London’s busiest transit hubs. Ought to this one be topped the winner, it wouldn’t mark the primary time in recent times {that a} transit-focused undertaking takes the highest award; in 2024, Grimshaw Architects received the Stirling Prize for its work on the Elizabeth Line.
Amir Sanei, London jury chair, mentioned Paddington Sq. is:
“A transformative piece of city infrastructure, […] a synthesis of engineering precision, civic generosity, and architectural restraint.”
Pembroke, Mill Lane | Haworth Tompkins
Probably the most important building undertaking at Pembroke Faculty Cambridge because the 14th century, Haworth Tompkins designed six new constructions and renovated six present ones to make the historic campus carry out higher for college students and school. The undertaking delivered new social, instructing, and residing areas, accompanied by new public and cultural realms centered round a brand new biodiverse backyard. The architects specified timber-framed constructions, gas-free power techniques, and climate-resilient panorama methods to cut back the undertaking’s general carbon footprint.
Julian de Metz had this to say concerning the undertaking:
“Pembroke Mill, a sturdy and considerate piece of city-making [that] exhibits how heritage, modern tutorial wants and environmental accountability will be aligned.”
River Wing, Clare Faculty, Cambridge | Witherford Watson Mann Architects
One other undertaking atop a historic campus, Witherford Watson Mann Architects designed the primary addition to Clare Faculty’s Outdated Courtroom because the 1780s, RIBA mentioned. The addition is connected to a Grade I Listed–Constructing, and is seen from Cambridge’s Queen’s Street, so high quality and contextual sensitivity have been paramount. It incorporates a restaurant, and was constructed utilizing a structural skeleton in laminated oak. Witherford Watson Mann Architects received the 2025 Stirling Prize. Will there be a repeat in 2026?
Julian de Metz mentioned of the addition:
“The architects have woven this modern construction into the present constructing, evolving it reasonably than contrasting in opposition to it.”
