The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has revealed the six shortlisted projects for the 2024 RIBA Stirling Prize. Awarded annually since 1996, this represents one the most important architecture prizes in the United Kingdom, striving to reward and highlight projects that envision a more inclusive future and engage actively with current challenges of the built environment. The selected works range in scale and program, from a national art gallery to an inclusive rural retreat, major urban regeneration projects, and even a London underground line. While some of the selected architects have received previous awards, including Mikhail Riches for the Goldsmith Street in 2019 and Jamie Fobert for New Tate St Ives in 2018, other architects such as Clementine Blakemore Architects and Al-Jawad Pike are at their first nomination.
The winner of the Stirling Prize will be announced at the Stirling Prize Ceremony on October 16, 2024, at a live ceremony at London’s Roundhouse. Last year’s award winner was the John Morden Center in London, designed by Mæ, while the previous 2022 prize went to Níall McLaughlin Architects for the Magdalene College Library.
According to RIBA President Muyiwa Oki, the selected projects offer a reflection of the “ingenuity and diversity of architecture today. From major national infrastructure to brave and brilliant council-led housing, these varied schemes are united in making sensitive contributions to elevating everyday life. Whether raising the bar for social housing, upgrading city transportation, or repurposing dilapidated buildings to create heritage-conscious urban and rural developments, each scheme thoughtfully adapts elements of our existing built environment.”
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RIBA Announces the 26 Winners of the 2024 National Awards Showcasing UK's Best New ArchitectureRead on to discover the six shortlisted buildings, along with descriptions provided by RIBA.
Chowdry Walk / Al-Jawad Pike (London)
An exemplary blueprint for social housing: Built on a plot previously occupied by garages and ad-hoc parking, these 11 homes – of which 7 are socially rented - herald the development of a new generation of ambitious council housing in Hackney, East London. A sculptural form gives a strong, confident presence to the staggered two-story terrace that weaves along a newly created public thoroughfare for pedestrians and cyclists. Clever sequencing creates a meaningful route through the development and provides privacy from overlooking neighbors, while also supporting passive solar gain.
The Elizabeth Line / Grimshaw, Maynard, Equation, and Atkins (London Underground)
A transport tour de force: A mammoth feat of construction and collaboration, The Elizabeth Line creates a familiar yet significantly improved experience for the 200 million passengers it is expected to carry each year. A slick line-wide identity manifests at the platform level through the application of consistent cladding, lighting, and signage, creating a decluttered and accessible environment. The result is a major infrastructure project that sets a new standard for inner-city transport.
King’s Cross Masterplan / Allies and Morrison and Porphyrios Associates (London)
A successful piece of city-making: 20 years in the making, the redevelopment of King’s Cross is the result of the remarkable reintegration and regeneration of this former industrial wasteland in the heart of London. New streets, squares, offices, schools, university facilities, and accommodations sit alongside thoughtfully restored historic structures, transforming the area into a thriving hub of activity. Further celebrating the site’s industrial legacy, the architects have reopened the Regent’s Canal to the public and created an ‘urban beach’ – a vibrant, valuable addition to London’s public realm and another clever thread in stitching a previously cut-off part of the city back into the wider urban fabric.
National Portrait Gallery / Jamie Fobert Architects and Purcell (London)
Reimagining a historic cultural institution: A seamless blend of contemporary design and conservation of historical elements reinvigorate this Grade I* listed cultural institution. The visitor experience is enhanced by a welcoming new entrance of bronze doors featuring hand-drawn portraits by Tracey Emin, along with a light-filled learning center and accessible public space carved from former offices. The entrance reorientates the gallery towards the bustling West End on which its back was previously turned, while crucial accessibility alterations have opened the building to all, including an entrance ramp and wider doorways. Careful interventions, such as using original windows to form new doorways, exemplify a harmony between heritage and adaptability.
Park Hill Phase 2 / Mikhail Riches (Sheffield)
Revitalizing a Brutalist landmark: The second phase of an ongoing regeneration of Europe’s largest listed structure which sits on a prominent hillside overlooking Sheffield City Centre. Internal spaces are modernized through open-plan designs and the addition of balconies, while thermal imaging has allowed sustainability experts to identify and improve energy efficiency. A fresh color palette referencing the nearby Peak District blends with the estate's original concrete, and preserves its design heritage, while tree and wildflower plantings cleverly soften the exterior.
Wraxall Yard / Clementine Blakemore Architects (Dorset)
An inclusive and accessible rural retreat: A dilapidated Dorset dairy farm has been sensitively repaired and converted into highly accessible holiday accommodation, with public spaces aimed at boosting engagement with wildlife and farming. Motivated by frustration at the standard of available wheelchair-accessible accommodation across the UK, the development offers extensive yet discreet accessible features, providing disabled guests – particularly wheelchair users – with a high degree of independence. Clever landscaping removes the need for ramps and obvious handrails. At the same time, a mix of polished concrete floors and exposed doorframes reduced drag and mitigated bumps for wheelchairs, widening access to this previously inaccessible site.
