‘World’s 50 most inspiring brick buildings’ shortlisted for BRICK AWARD 26 | News

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UCCA Clay Museum, Yixing, China, by Kengo Kuma and Associates. Image credit: Fangfang Tian

The shortlist for the BRICK AWARD 26 has been unveiled, honoring “the world’s 50 most inspiring brick buildings.” Hosted by wienerberger, the awards are presented every two years, having begun in 2004. Organizers describe the award as giving design teams a “platform for their unique designs and celebrating brick and ceramic building products as timeless materials for innovative and forward-looking architecture.”

The award is presented in five categories: Feeling at home (single houses and small projects); Living together (urban residential developments); Working together (commercial and industrial buildings); Sharing public spaces (public buildings and spaces); and Building outside the box (innovation).

The shortlist was compiled from 849 submissions. The awards ceremony will take place on June 11, 2026, in Vienna.

In the meantime, the 50 projects on the shortlist have been set out below.

Mountain House, Cape Town, South Africa, by Chris van Niekerk. Image credit: Chris Van Nierkerk

FEELING AT HOME 

Blockmakers Arms, London, UK, by Erbar Mattes
Ca na Birgit, Calvià, Spain, by TEd’A arquitectes
House 1616, Barcelona, Spain, by Harquitectes
Kurth Residence, Liege, Belgium, by Olivier Fourneau Architects
Los Guayabos, Cuernavaca, Mexico, by Rodriguez + De Mitr

White Bricks House, Brasilia, Brazil, by Bloco Arquitetos. Image credit: Joana França

Manel and Montse House, Sant Esteve de Palautordera, Spain, by Obo Estudi Arquitectura
Mountain House, Cape Town, South Africa, by Chris van Niekerk
Valley House, Torres Vedras, Portugal, by Volume – Architecture Lisbon Studio
Verandah House, Nhavi Sandas, India, by studioPPBA
Villa BW, Vught, Netherlands, by Mecanoo
White Bricks House, Brasilia, Brazil, by Bloco Arquitetos

64 University Place, New York, USA, by Kohn Pedersen Fox. Image credit: Michael Young

LIVING TOGETHER 

11 social housing units, Palma , Spain, by Carles Enrich Studio
64 University Place, New York, USA, by Kohn Pedersen Fox 
Social and urban infill project, Kortrijk, Belgium, by MAKER architecten
Fixfabriken Spanjoletten, Gothenburg, Sweden, by Olsson Lyckefors Arkitekte

Park Hill Phase 2, Sheffield, UK, by Mikhail Riches. Image credit: Mark Hadden

Luise 19E, Werder, Germany, by undjurekbrüggen
O 14, Madrid, Spain, by BURR STUDIO
Park Hill Phase 2, Sheffield, UK, by Mikhail Riches
Social Atrium – 54 dwellings in the Besòs, Barcelona, Spain, by Peris + Toral Arquitectes & L3J

Leipzig Cogeneration Plant, Leipzig, Germany, by Atelier ST. Image credit: AtelierST / Duc Viet Nguyen

WORKING TOGETHER 

Leipzig Cogeneration Plant, Leipzig, Germany, by Atelier ST
Firemen tower in Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain, by Carles Enrich Studio
Håndværkskollegiet i Horsens, Horsens, Denmark, by Cubo Arkitekter & Danø Architecture
Lindemans Brewery, Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Belgium, by A2D architects
Metallic Bellows Factory Office, Chennai, India, by KSM Architecture

Metallic Bellows Factory Office, Chennai, India, by KSM Architecture. Image credit: Screenag BRS

Mezcal Production Palenque, Jiquilpan de Juárez, Mexico, by Estudio ALA 
Recast | Lao Ding Feng Beijing, China, by Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
Sara Weill-Raynal nursing home, Paris, France, by Avenier Cornejo Architectes
Substation Ijburg, Amsterdam, Netherlands, by Powerhouse Company
Warehouse/offices for Clase Azul La Hacienda Jalisco, Tepatitlán, Mexico, by Atelier ARS

Warehouse/offices for Clase Azul La Hacienda Jalisco, Tepatitlán, Mexico, by Atelier ARS. Image credit: Cesar Bejar

SHARING PUBLIC SPACES 

Academia Atlas, Zapopan, Mexico, by Sordo Madaleno
Aga Khan Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh, by Shatotto & Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios
Đạo Mẫu (Mothergoddess) Museum & Temple, Hanoi, Vietnam, by arb architects 
District school Kirchwerder, Hamburg, Germany, by Thomas Kröger Architekten
Het Steen Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium, by noAarchitecten

Aga Khan Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh, by Shatotto & Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios. Image credit: Asif Salman

La Chênaie Public School, Saint Etienne de Montluc, France, by RAUM
Melbourne Holocaust Museum, Melbourne, Australia, by Kerstin Thompson Architects
Mercado Nicolas Bravo, Quintana Roo, Mexico, by Aidia Studio
Park Brialmont Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium, by CLUSTER landscape & urbanism
Performing Arts Centre Brighton College, Brighton, UK, by krft

Melbourne Holocaust Museum, Melbourne, Australia, by Kerstin Thompson Architects. Image credit: L Showell

Primary School Edison Antwerp, Netherlands, by Korteknie Stuhlmacher Architecten 
Schoenenkwartier Shoe Museum, Waalwijk, Netherlands, by  Civic Architects
Temporary space for Slovenian National Theatre, Ljubljana, Slovenia, by Vidic Grohar Arhitekti
UCCA Clay Museum, Yixing, China, by Kengo Kuma and Associates

UCCA Clay Museum, Yixing, China, by Kengo Kuma and Associates. Image credit: Eiichi Kano

BUILDING OUT OF THE BOX 

Ceramic House, Amsterdam, Netherlands, by Studio RAP
Endless Brick Playground, Hangzhou, China, by China Academy of Art
La Cruz 13-40, Cuenca, Spain, by Taller Alexis Schulman & Surreal Estudio
Mary‘s Mantle Chapel, Freising, Germany, by Brückner & Brückner Architekten

Ceramic House, Amsterdam, Netherlands, by Studio RAP. Image credit: Riccardo De Vecchi

Shafagh Tomb, Ardakan, Iran, by 35-51 Architecture Office
The Lady, Amsterdam, Netherlands, by Dok architecten
Tianjin Zhongshuge, Tianjin, China, by X+Living Architecture and Interior Design

Shafagh Tomb, Ardakan, Iran, by 35-51 Architecture Office. Image credit: 35-51 Architecture Office

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