The Royal Institute of British Architects has announced the shortlist for the annual Stirling Prize that highlights the UK’s best building of the year. The projects on the list include a house made of cork, a gin distillery and one of the UK's busiest stations – revealing the diversity of UK building practice today.
Grimshaw’s London Bridge Station was commended for its voluminous, light-filled concourse. A residential housing scheme in Norwich by Mikhail Riches with Cathy Hawley held up for its energy efficiency. Feilden Fowles’ Yorkshire Sculpture Park visitor centre was recognized for its connection to the landscape. The Nevill Holt Opera, renovated from a 17th-century stable block by Witherford Watson Mann Architects and Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners’ Macallan Distillery both attracted shortlisting because of their unique offerings.
The Weston, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, by Feilden Fowles Architects.
‘These six buildings could hardly be more diverse in typology and scale – from a rustic stable block-turned-theatre to a vast national railway station. But what they have in common – ground-breaking innovation, extraordinary creativity and the highest quality materials and detailing – sets them apart, rightfully earning them a chance to win the highest accolade in architecture,’ says RIBA President Ben Derbyshire.
RELATED STORY
So what does the ‘best’ mean? In 2019, for RIBA, that means ‘ground-breaking innovation, extraordinary creativity and the highest quality materials and detailing,’yet also projects that seek to address the big issues important to the UK right now – from the housing crisis to global climate emergency.
‘From the way that Cork House experiments with entirely plant-based materials, to Goldsmith Street’s ultra-low energy affordable homes, each of these six buildings push the boundaries of architecture, exceeding what has been done before, and providing solutions to some of the most pressing challenges of our times,’ says Derbyshire.
Goldsmith Street, Norwich, by Mikhail Riches with Cathy Hawley. ‘A large development of 105 highly energy-efficient homes for social rent, designed to Passivhaus standards for Norwich City Council’ – RIBA.
The Weston, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, by Feilden Fowles Architects. ‘An exquisite new gallery and visitor centre nestled into the Yorkshire landscape’ – RIBA. Read more here…
London Bridge Station, by Grimshaw. ‘A radical reconfiguration and development of one of London’s busiest stations with a new voluminous, light-filled concourse’ – RIBA.
Cork House, Berkshire, by Matthew Barnett Howland with Dido Milne and Oliver Wilton. ‘An ingenious, experimental, carbon-neutral private house made almost entirely from cork’ – RIBA
Nevill Holt Opera, Leicestershire, by Witherford Watson Mann Architects. ‘A contemporary opera theatre within a 17th-century stable block’– RIBA. Read more here…
INFORMATION
Nevill Holt Opera, Leicestershire, by Witherford Watson Mann Architects. ‘A contemporary opera theatre within a 17th-century stable block’– RIBA. Photography: Hélène Binet. Read more here…
-
Aston Martin looks set to make a bigger splash with its new Vanquish VolanteIn the rarefield world of ultra-luxurious GTs, could Aston Martin's new Vanquish Volante be the ultimate V12 droptop?
-
Milan Design Week 2025: step inside this Brera Design Apartment before the crowdsThis Brera apartment, an interiors showcase custom-designed by studio Zanellato/Bortotto, speaks to Italy’s rich creative heritage and the duo’s own travels. Sneak a peek
-
Johanna Parv’s ‘engineered formalwear’ is made for the woman on the movePart of our monthly series ‘Uprising’, Wallpaper* meets Johanna Parv, the London-based designer whose stealthily beautiful clothes are designed to take women from boardroom to dinner by way of the bike lane
-
Showing off its gargoyles and curves, The Gradel Quadrangles opens in OxfordThe Gradel Quadrangles, designed by David Kohn Architects, brings a touch of playfulness to Oxford through a modern interpretation of historical architecture
-
A Norfolk bungalow has been transformed through a deft sculptural remodellingNorth Sea East Wood is the radical overhaul of a Norfolk bungalow, designed to open up the property to sea and garden views
-
A new concrete extension opens up this Stoke Newington house to its gardenArchitects Bindloss Dawes' concrete extension has brought a considered material palette to this elegant Victorian family house
-
A former garage is transformed into a compact but multifunctional spaceA multifunctional, compact house by Francesco Pierazzi is created through a unique spatial arrangement in the heart of the Surrey countryside
-
A 1960s North London townhouse deftly makes the transition to the 21st CenturyThanks to a sensitive redesign by Studio Hagen Hall, this midcentury gem in Hampstead is now a sustainable powerhouse.
-
Manchester United and Foster + Partners to build a new stadium: ‘Arguably the largest public space in the world’The football club will spend £2 billion on the ambitious project, which co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has described as the ‘world's greatest football stadium’
-
'Bold and unapologetic', this contemporary Wimbledon home replaces a 1970s house on siteThis grey-brick Wimbledon home by McLaren Excell is a pairing of brick and concrete, designed to be mysterious
-
Liu Jiakun wins 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize: explore the Chinese architect's workLiu Jiakun, 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate, is celebrated for his 'deep coherence', quality and transcendent architecture
