The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the 34 winning projects of the RIBA International Awards for Excellence 2026.
Recognising inspiring architecture across 15 countries and four continents, this year’s cohort responds directly to urgent social, environmental and urban conditions across the globe.
All winning projects are now in contention for the shortlist of the prestigious RIBA International Prize, one of architecture’s highest accolades.
The winner will be announced at the RIBA Stirling Prize celebration on 15 October 2026 at Old Billingsgate, London.
Whether addressing climate, migration, housing, rapid urbanisation, or infrastructure, the awarded projects demonstrate how thoughtful design can positively impact everyday life and help build a more equitable and resilient future.
Image: Beijing Performing Arts Centre. Credit: Zhu Yumeng
The winners showcase how existing structures can be reimagined as vibrant destinations for culture, community and civic life. In Norway, Kunstsilo by Mestres Wåge, BAX and Mendoza Partida transforms a former grain silo into a contemporary art museum, whilst Switzerland’s Transformation Warmbächli by BHSF Architektur & Städtebau reuses a former Chocolat Tobler warehouse for cooperative housing. Similarly, Rockbund Shanghai by David Chipperfield Architects and Arquitectonica converts a historic neighbourhood into a modern cultural district connecting the area with the riverfront and park, whilst Taoxichuan Ceramic Culture Industrial Park by Jie Zhang, Beijing An-Design Architects and THUPDI revitalises two abandoned ceramic factories in China’s porcelain capital into a thriving cultural and creative district.
Climate responsive design and the use of local materials are also central to this year’s winners, featuring natural ways to cool buildings and lower their carbon output. In France, Château de Beaucastel by Studio Mumbai and Studio Méditerranée uses natural airflow and shade to create a naturally cooled winery that honours its historic setting, while Parikrama by SPASM Design Architects in India uses shaded walkways and natural ventilation to deal with the hot temperatures of the region. In Australia, Burnt Earth Beach House by Wardle transforms the site of a former beach shack into a multi-generational family home, using handmade terracotta to respond to the demands of its exposed coastal setting, whilst Vietnam's Urban Farming Office by VTN Architects wraps its exterior in vegetation to cool the building while producing local food in the heart of the city. Norway’s The Plus by BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group joins sustainability highlights as a carbon-neutral furniture factory and public park built from local timber that uses solar power and rainwater to cut its energy demand by up to 90%.
Winning projects demonstrate how design is being used to strengthen communities by creating new spaces for learning and culture. In Uganda, the Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre by Hassell provides a vital new space for arts and community within one of the world’s largest refugee settlements, whilst Australia's Darlington Public School by fjcstudio integrates Indigenous heritage directly within a modern classroom setting. The importance of community also extends to public institutions. BRAC University by WOHA transforms a Dhaka landfill into a vibrant and climate-conscious educational hub, while Shanghai Library East by Schmidt Hammer Lassen redefines the library as a “collection to connection” model, housing 4.8 million books with a largely open, publicly accessible landscape. In Beijing, the Performing Arts Center by Schmidt Hammer Lassen and Perkins & Will reactivates the Tongzhou waterfront through three monolithic venues for opera, theatre and music, inspired by the sites industrial heritage.
This year’s winning projects include work by leading international practices such as David Chipperfield Architects (UK/Germany), Foster + Partners (UK), BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group (Denmark), Schmidt Hammer Lassen (Denmark), Hassell (Australia), and WOHA (Singapore), alongside acclaimed independent studios including Studio Mumbai (India) and MAKER architecten (Belgium).
Neil Gillespie, Awards Group Chair, said: “What connects this year’s winners is a strong sense of generosity towards people, place and the future. These projects demonstrate a confidence in architecture’s ability to create delight and dignity while working within existing constraints, whether environmental, social or economic. Rather than relying on spectacle, they show the value of thoughtful, enduring design that is rooted in context and capable of enriching everyday life.”
Chris Williamson, RIBA President, said: “This year’s RIBA International Awards reflect the breadth and ambition of contemporary architecture at its best, through work that is globally diverse yet united by a shared commitment to improving how people live. What has stood out has been not only the quality of individual projects, but the clarity of thinking behind them. Across sustainability, community-building and cultural identity, architects are responding in inventive and often unexpected ways, and the winners offer a compelling snapshot of where the discipline is heading.”
The 34 winners of the RIBA International Awards for Excellence:
- Burnt Earth Beach House by Wardle (Anglesea, Australia)
- Church of the Living God by Angelo Candalepas and Associates (Hurstville, NSW, Australia)
- Darlington Public School by fjcstudio (Sydney, Australia)
- The Porter House Hotel by Angelo Candalepas and Associates (Sydney, Australia)
- KinderKunstLabor by Schenker Salvi Weber (St. Pölten, Austria)
- Zebun Nessa Mosque by Studio Morphogenesis Ltd. (Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh)
- BRAC University by WOHA (Dhaka, Bangladesh)
- YIMBY (Yes In My BackYard) by MAKER architecten (Kortrijk, Belgium)
- Z33 by Francesca Torzo Architetto (Hasselt, Belgium)
- Royale Belge by Caruso St John Architects + Bovenbouw Architectuur with DDS+ (Watermael-Boitsfort, Brussels, Belgium)
- Beijing Performing Arts Center by Schmidt Hammer Lassen + Perkins & Will (Beijing, China)
- Green Hill by Tongii Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China)
- Foreign Language School Affiliated to Longhua Academy of Educational Sciences by Unitinno Architectural Technology Development Company Limited (Shenzhen, China)
- Rockbund Shanghai by David Chipperfield Architects (historical buildings) + Arquitectonica (new buildings) (Shanghai, China)
- Service Station Under Wuning Road Bridge, Suzhou Creek by Atelier Z+ (Shanghai, China)
- Shanghai Library East by Schmidt Hammer Lassen (Shanghai, China)
- Shenzhen Energy Ring by Schmidt Hammer Lassen + Gottlieb Paludan Architects (Shenzhen, China)
- Taoxichuan Ceramic Culture Industrial Park by Jie Zhang + Beijing An-Design Architects + THUPDI (Jingdezhen, China)
- West Wusutu Village Community Center in Hohhot by Inner Mongolian Grand Architecture Design Co., Ltd. (Hohhot, China)
- Štvanice Footbridge in Prague by Atelier Bridge Structures, Atelier Petr Tej, Blank architekti (Prague, Czech Republic)
- Wood Up by LAN – Local Architecture Network (Paris, France)
- Château de Beaucastel by Studio Mumbai + Studio Méditerranée (Courthézon, France)
- DY Patil Centre of Excellence by Foster + Partners (Maharashtra, India)
- Parikrama by SPASM Design Architects (Nandgaon, India)
- Architects’ Studio by O’Donnell + Tuomey (Dublin, Ireland)
- Tenjincho Place by Hiroyuki Ito Architects (Tokyo, Japan)
- KON-TIGO by Manuel Cervantes Estudio (Guerrero, Mexico)
- Mezcal Production Palenque by Estudio ALA (Armida Fernández and Luis Enrique Flores) (Jiquilpan de Juárez, Michoacán, Mexico)
- Kunstsilo by Mestres Wåge + BAX + Mendoza Partida (Kristiansand, Norway)
- The Plus by BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group (Magnor, Norway)
- Transformation Warmbächli by BHSF Architektur & Städtebau (Berne, Switzerland)
- Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre by Hassell (Yumbe District, Uganda)
- Terra Cotta Workshop by Tropical Space (Quang Nam, Vietnam)
- Urban Farming Office by VTN Architects (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
