Six projects make 2026 Stirling Prize shortlist for UK’s best new building

The Royal Institute of British Architects has unveiled the shortlist for the 2026 Stirling Prize. The annual prize, arguably the most acclaimed in the UK, is intended “to find the UK’s best building.”

The shortlist, chosen from winners of the RIBA National Awards reported by Archinect earlier in July, was judged against a range of criteria including design vision, innovation and originality, accessibility and sustainability, how fit the building is for its purpose, the level of client satisfaction, and the building’s “capacity to stimulate, engage, and delight occupants and visitors.”

The winning project will be revealed on October 15th. In the meantime, the six shortlisted projects are outlined below. You can compare the most recent selection with that of previous years by reviewing our ongoing coverage of the award here.

A house at Fairmead, High Beach, Epping Forest by Sergison Bates 

Jury citation: 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 facade, giving the building an expressive form. Considered construction techniques, including insulating clay blocks finished with lime plaster, allow the structure to both release heat gradually – regulating temperature – and 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. 

BEAM, Hertfordshire, by Bennetts Associates  

Jury citation: 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’s important civic role. The new form seems to anticipate the drama, materiality and energy of the fine new and rediscovered interiors. 

Lion Green Road  by Mary Duggan Architects (design) with RUFF Architects (delivery) 

Jury citation: 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’s 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 a site and at an 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.   

Paddington Square by Renzo Piano Building Workshop (Paris) in collaboration with Adamson Associates (London) 

Jury citation: A long-standing disconnected site has been reimagined with public realm at its heart, creating a welcoming destination for one of London’s 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's glass facade acts as a “delicate veil”, shifting between reflective and transparent qualities to give the substantial structure an unexpectedly ethereal presence.   

Pembroke, Mill Lane by Haworth Tompkins 

Jury citation: The most significant expansion of Pembroke College since the fourteenth century, this sensitive project carefully weaves together new and existing buildings within Cambridge's 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 a mind set on the future. There is a sense both of continuity and the contemporary, each are comfortable in the other’s presence. 

River Wing, Clare College by Witherford Watson Mann Architects 

Jury citation: 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 complementing the building's 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 architects art.