{"id":694599,"date":"2026-07-16T10:06:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T10:06:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/694599\/"},"modified":"2026-07-16T10:06:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T10:06:21","slug":"riba-stirling-prize-2026-shortlist-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/694599\/","title":{"rendered":"RIBA Stirling Prize 2026 shortlist revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"

The practice, which scooped the UK\u2019s most prestigious architecture award last year for its Appleby Blue Almshouse<\/a> in Southwark, is again vying for glory after its\u202fnew wing for the Grade I-listed Clare College<\/a> in Cambridge was picked as one of six contenders for the 2026 prize.<\/p>\n

Only Zaha Hadid Architects has previously managed to win the award two years in a row \u2013 in 2010 with its MAXXI art museum<\/a> in Rome in 2010, then in 2011 with its Evelyn Grace Academy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mirroring the RIBA National Award winners, the Stirling Prize<\/a> finalists are heavily weighted towards the South East and the capital.<\/p>\n

Witherford Watson Mann\u2019s Cambridge scheme is joined on the shortlist by another university project in the city \u2013 the expansion of Pembroke College by Haworth Tompkins, also a past Stirling Prize champion (the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool, 2014<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The shortlist is completed by four schemes in and around London: Paddington Square<\/a> by Renzo Piano Building Workshop in collaboration with Adamson Associates; Lion Green Road<\/a>, Coulsdon, by Mary Duggan Architects with RUFF Architects; BEAM<\/a>, Hertford, by Bennetts Associates; and a house at Fairmead, High Beach, Epping Forest, by Sergison Bates architects.<\/p>\n

Haworth Tompkins\u2019 Pembroke College project is the only one of the 12 regional Buildings of the Year<\/a>, including Wales and Northern Ireland, to have made the final six. The scheme had been named the best building in the RIBA region, as well as also picking up its conservation award, and the Project Architect of the Year prize for Hannah Constantine.<\/p>\n

Notable omissions from this year\u2019s shortlist include Bristol Beacon by Levitt Bernstein, despite the revamp winning the South West Building of the Year and a national award; Tonkin Liu\u2019s two projects at York Minster; and UCL East, Marshgate.<\/p>\n

The UCL scheme by Stanton Williams had previously been crowned the best of the best in the London region. In fact none of the three National Award winners on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park were shortlisted for the Stirling Prize by the RIBA awards group<\/a>, chaired by Neil Gillespie.<\/p>\n

Speaking about this year\u2019s winners, RIBA president Chris Williamson said: \u2018This year\u2019s shortlist shows us what architecture can achieve when creativity, purpose and public value come together.<\/p>\n

\u2018In their distinct ambitions to revitalise communities, transform public infrastructure, deliver exemplary housing, carefully evolve historic institutions and create a thoughtful new home, these projects show that UK architecture is not only defined by style, but by true impact on people and place.\u2019<\/p>\n

The 30th anniversary RIBA Stirling Prize winner will be announced at a ceremony at Old Billingsgate in London on 15 October 2026.<\/p>\n

The AJ has opened a reader poll \u2013 vote for your favourite here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A house at Fairmead, Epping Forest by Sergison Bates architects
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RIBA Stirling Prize 2026 shortlist: A house at Fairmead, Epping Forest by Sergison Bates architects<\/p>\n

Source: Johan Dehlin<\/p>\n

Set on the edge of Epping Forest, this family home responds sensitively to its rural setting through restrained material choice and a dignified design sensibility. Varied brickwork and windows of differing shapes and sizes appear to dance across the fa\u00e7ade, giving the building an expressive form. Considered construction techniques, including insulating clay blocks finished with lime plaster, allow the structure both to release heat gradually \u2013 regulating temperature \u2013 and to reduce noise. Inside, the house is organised around a dramatic 4.5m-high living room bathed in natural light, while conventional corridors are replaced with deep openings in thick walls to link each room, creating a sequence of distinct yet interconnected spaces. The architecture is at once domestic, playing a generous and sociable host to the rituals of everyday life, yet capable of imagining the milestones that give shape to a year.<\/p>\n

BEAM, Hertfordshire, by Bennetts Associates
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RIBA Stirling Prize 2026 shortlist: BEAM, Hertfordshire, by Bennetts Associates<\/p>\n

Source: Hufton + Crow<\/p>\n

Located on the banks of the River Lea, this new multi-functional arts venue is an exemplar of intelligent and imaginative civic reuse. Instead of demolishing the ageing 1970s Hertford Theatre, the council-led project retains the original structure, wrapping it in a new striking hexagonal brick form that houses a cinema and events space. Extensive use of cross-laminated timber, an all-electric energy supply and, crucially, the retention of the original building, establishes BEAM as a compelling model for retrofit. The design carefully and skilfully creates an animated building form that sits comfortably within the historic townscape and yet at the same time signals BEAM\u2019s important civic role. The new form seems to anticipate the drama, materiality and energy of the fine new and rediscovered interiors.<\/p>\n

Read the AJ Specification case study here<\/a><\/p>\n

Lion Green Road, Coulsdon, by Mary Duggan Architects with RUFF Architects
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RIBA Stirling Prize 2026 shortlist: Lion Green Road, Coulsdon, by Mary Duggan Architects with RUFF Architects<\/p>\n

Source: Rob Parrish<\/p>\n

Providing an equal mix of affordable and private housing, Lion Green Road offers 157 dwellings, clustered into five prismatic 13-sided blocks that quietly traverse the green hillside of Coulsdon. A landscape-first approach softens the scheme\u2019s underlying density, with winding paths and generous planting weaving between and connecting together the blocks. Shared communal outdoor areas, from play spaces to quiet seating areas, foster a sense of community. Inside, generous, dual-aspect homes maximise daylight and natural ventilation for residents. The plans both at site and at individual flat floor plan levels reveal a skilful resolution of complex geometries. The design offers an innovative and imaginative approach to high-density suburban housing.<\/p>\n

Read more about this project here<\/a><\/p>\n

Paddington Square, London\u00a0by Renzo Piano Building Workshop in collaboration with Adamson Associates
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RIBA Stirling Prize 2026 shortlist: Paddington Square, London\u00a0by Renzo Piano Building Workshop in collaboration with Adamson Associates<\/p>\n

Source: Hufton + Crow<\/p>\n

A long-standing disconnected site has been reimagined with public realm at its heart, creating a welcoming destination for one of London\u2019s busiest transport interchanges. A generous new public square creates space to pause, meet and gather, while step-free routes and intuitive connections make journeys easier and more inclusive for millions of people. Above ground, the building\u2019s glass fa\u00e7ade acts as a \u2018delicate veil\u2019, shifting between reflective and transparent qualities to give the substantial structure an unexpectedly ethereal presence.<\/p>\n

Read the AJ\u2019s building study here<\/a><\/p>\n

Pembroke College, Cambridge by Haworth Tompkins
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RIBA Stirling Prize 2026 shortlist: Pembroke College, Cambridge by Haworth Tompkins<\/p>\n

Source: Fred Howarth<\/p>\n

The most significant expansion of Pembroke College since the 14th century, this sensitive project carefully weaves together new and existing buildings within Cambridge\u2019s Historic Core Conservation Area. Six existing buildings have been carefully retrofitted, benefiting from upgraded insulation, improved glazing and enhanced thermal performance, while the six new building employ passive design measures, including triple glazing, exposed thermal mass and photovoltaic panels to reduce energy consumption. Open-air timber-framed walkways and biodiverse gardens stitch together the old and new sites, helping open up the college to the public and resulting in a campus that balances heritage, sustainability and requirements for modern use. The success of the project lies in the great skill and care taken to navigate the demands of the sensitive historic context with an eye to the future. There is a sense both of continuity and the contemporary; each are comfortable in the other\u2019s presence.<\/p>\n

River Wing, Clare College, Cambridge by Witherford Watson Mann Architects
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RIBA Stirling Prize 2026 shortlist: River Wing, Clare College, Cambridge by Witherford Watson Mann Architects<\/p>\n

Source: Philip Vile<\/p>\n

A new wing for the Grade I-listed Clare College in Cambridge, sensitively transforms a series of underused and undervalued spaces into a warm, informal setting. Constrained site access, highly protected heritage buildings and site with flood and drainage risks have been skilfully navigated to create a beautifully judged dining space for students and staff. Impeccable detailing and a restrained palette of oak, for structure and wall panelling, sit on Purbeck stone floors that complement the building\u2019s existing brick walls. There is an obvious respect for the surrounding college buildings. As they unfold towards the river, the new interiors are of rare poetic quality. This work is contemporary in reality yet ancient in its sensibility, a remarkable illustration of the architect\u2019s art.<\/p>\n

Read the AJ\u2019s review here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The practice, which scooped the UK\u2019s most prestigious architecture award last year for its Appleby Blue Almshouse in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":694600,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[6225,6485,6486,1120,96,90420,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-694599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-riba-stirling-prize","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/694599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=694599"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/694599\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/694600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=694599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=694599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=694599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}