Photographer: Morley von Sternberg | ArchDaily

London’s Southbank Centre Receives National Heritage Protection After 35-Year Campaign

Antonia Piñeiro — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 05:30:00 +0000

The Southbank Centre is a cultural complex in London built between 1963 and 1968 and widely regarded as a representative example of British Brutalism. Today, the site hosts a wide range of events, including visual arts, theatre, dance, classical and contemporary music, literature, poetry, and debate. The building was designed by a team from the Architects' Department of the London County Council, led by architect Norman Engleback. It became a controversial example of modern architecture following its opening in October 1967, when engineers voted Queen Elizabeth Hall "the supreme ugly" in a poll of new buildings, and the Daily Mail referred to it as "Britain's ugliest building." Fifty-nine years later, on February 10, 2026, the complex was granted Grade II listed status by the UK government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), following a 35-year campaign advocating for its protection as modern architectural heritage.

Internal Acoustics: Effective Noise Mitigation Techniques in Architecture

Mohieldin Gamal — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 05:00:00 +0000

The internal environment is the focus of this second article about designing for noise to improve well-being. According to several recent studies, noise in cities has become an increasing hazard to health. Environmental noise, that is, noise from traffic, industrial activities, or amplified music, which reaches internal spaces, is not merely an annoyance. It has been linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, and mental health issues. As the world urbanizes, more people are exposed to excessive levels of noise. In medium- and high-density housing, in office buildings, and in schools, noise pollution can emanate from internal as well as external sources.

Paddington Elizabeth Line Station / Weston Williamson + Partners

Bianca Valentina Roșescu — Sat, 17 Sep 2022 02:00:00 +0000

Paddington is familiar to millions of people arriving in London from Heathrow or stations to the west. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Digby Wyatt, Paddington is Grade I listed and an icon of Victorian railway engineering – setting the bar high for its new Elizabeth Line addition. Weston Williamson + Partners’ Elizabeth Line station is the culmination of over ten years’ work by the practice across Paddington station, transforming the passenger experience by radically improving routes to and through the station, and opening up new connections.

RIBA Announces the 2022 National Award Winners Showcasing UK’s Best New Architecture

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 05:30:00 +0000

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the 29 winners of the 2022 RIBA National Awards for architecture. Ranging from net-zero carbon office buildings to family homes, schools and education facilities, urban developments and cultural buildings, this year’s projects provide an insight into the key trends that shape UK’s architectural and economic environment. Many projects focused on uniting communities, by creating spaces as a result of a collaboration between the local residents and the architects, or by offering unique venues for musical or cultural events. The future of housing was also addressed, with projects illustrating a vision for modern rural living or creating new city blocks centered around community gardens. Another area of interest was the restoration and adaptation of existing buildings, be it a 900-year-old former dining hall of the Cathedral or an iconic 1950s Modernist house.

RIBA Announces 2022 London Awards Winners

Dima Stouhi — Thu, 05 May 2022 08:00:00 +0000

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the winning projects for the 2022 RIBA London architecture awards. The list of 42 buildings includes projects ranging from a sustainable council housing development to a cookery school for children, showcasing the best architectural interventions in London over the past two years. The projects were selected by a regional jury, who visited all 66 shortlisted projects. RIBA London Award winners will now be considered for a highly-coveted RIBA National Award in recognition of their architectural excellence, which will be announced in June.

RIBA Announces 2021 National Award Winners Highlighting UK's Best New Buildings

Andreea Cutieru — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 05:30:00 +0000

The Royal Institute of British Architects has announced the 54 winners of the 2021 RIBA National Awards, highlighting the UK's best new architecture. Ranging from single homes and housing schemes to educational facilities, cultural buildings, sports venues and medical centres, this year's projects illustrate a growing preoccupation with restoration and adaptive reuse, as well as a significant investment in education and culture. Inaugurated in 1966, the awards provide insight into UK's architectural environment and the economic trends shaping the AEC industry.

Stratosphere / Allies and Morrison

Rayen Sagredo — Tue, 01 Jan 2019 02:00:00 +0000

Stratosphere, designed for Telford Homes, has transformed a brownfield site adjacent to Stratford station into two buildings boasting striking views.

Stamford Hill / Stockwool

Daniel Tapia — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 02:00:00 +0000

Stockwool has transformed a previously unattractive commercial site into a vibrant new mixed-use scheme in Stamford Hill. The carefully considered new buildings designed for Filey Group and Kingsbury, and delivered by Edinburgh-based architect ISA, enhance the distinctive character of Stoke Newington and Stamford Hill through their contemporary interpretation of existing typologies, creating a high-quality living environment which attracts new residents to the area encouraged by the range of housing typologies and tenures provided.

17 Projects Win 2017 RIBA East Awards

Rory Stott — Fri, 19 May 2017 13:15:00 +0000

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced 17 winning projects in the 2017 RIBA East Awards. Topped by Walters & Cohen Architects' Vajrasana Buddhist Retreat Centre in Suffolk which won the RIBA East Building of the Year Award, these 17 regional winners will go on to compete in RIBA's national awards, with the best in the national awards ultimately going forward to compete for the Stirling Prize.

99% Invisible Recalls the Unknown Arts Awards of the Olympic Games

Osman Bari — Sun, 23 Apr 2017 14:00:00 +0000

We’ve all heard of the record-breaking times, longest distances and of course, winners of those coveted medals, but according to 99% Invisible there is a lesser-known Olympic Games honor participants have received: awards in architecture. In an article tracing the history of this bizarre tradition, Kurt Kohlstedt explores how medals were awarded to five categories of the arts during the Olympic Games, presented to participants alongside their sporting competitors.

Clock House Gardens / Stockwool

Sabrina Leiva — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 03:00:00 +0000

Clock House Gardens has transformed a derelict hotel site into an intimate community of 50 new homes on a key gateway site into Welwyn. The design responds to the 0.8ha site’s unique combination of urban and rural surroundings, with the A1(M) motorway to one side and dense woodland to the other.

RIBA Awards 2017 Royal Gold Medal to Paulo Mendes da Rocha

Rory Stott — Wed, 01 Feb 2017 16:00:00 +0000

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has awarded its 2017 Royal Gold Medal to Paulo Mendes da Rocha. The 87-year-old is among Brazil's most celebrated architects, known for his special brand of Brazilian Brutalism which has had a dramatic effect in his home country, particularly in the city of São Paulo. The award continues a spectacularly successful year for Mendes da Rocha, who won the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale in May, and was announced the 2016 Premium Imperiale Laureate just weeks ago. Mendes da Rocha has also previously received the Pritzker Prize in 2006 and the Mies van der Rohe Prize for his Pinacoteca de São Paulo project in 2000.

RIBA Announces 46 Winners for 2016 National Awards

Sabrina Santos — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 19:01:00 +0000

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the winners of the 2016 RIBA National Awards. The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize for the UK’s best building of the year will be drawn from these 46 award-winning buildings.

See All 36 Winners of the 2016 RIBA London Awards

Eric Oh — Sun, 08 May 2016 12:00:00 +0000

From a shortlist of 68 buildings, 36 London projects have been awarded the 2016 RIBA London Awards for architectural excellence, the city's most prestigious design honor. The winners include a home for ravens, a Japanese-inspired London terrace home and a historical restoration. All of these designs will be further considered for the RIBA National Awards, to be announced in July. The winners of the national award will then create a shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize – the highest award for architecture in the UK.

Paulo Mendes da Rocha Awarded Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement

James Taylor-Foster — Fri, 06 May 2016 07:00:00 +0000

The Board of Directors of La Biennale di Venezia, upon recommendation from Alejandro Aravena, have announced the Brazilian Pritzker Prize-winning architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha as the recipient of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement of the 15th International Architecture Exhibition, Reporting From the Front. Citing the "timelessness" of his work "both physically and stylistically" as "the most striking attribute of his architecture," the board have also stated that "this astonishing consistency may be the consequence of his ideological integrity and structural genius."

Shortlist Announced for 2016 RIBA London Awards

Eric Oh — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 06:00:00 +0000

A total of 68 buildings have been shortlisted for the 2016 RIBA London Awards, including projects from John McAslan + Partners, dRMM Architects, Níall McLaughlin Architects, Eric Parry Architects and Rogers Stirk Harbour. All shortlisted buildings will now be visited and carefully assessed by one of four regional juries, and regional winners will be considered for a RIBA National Award. The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize - given to the UK's best building of this year - will be composed of the winners of the RIBA National Award.

See All 38 Winners of the 2015 RIBA London Awards

Holly Giermann — Thu, 21 May 2015 06:00:34 +0000

From a shortlist of 68 buildings, 38 London projects have been awarded the 2015 RIBA London Awards for architectural excellence, the city's most prestigious design honor. The awards highlight projects that embody exceptional merit in their designs and positively impact the lives of their occupants. This year's winners include three arts and leisure buildings, 11 educational and community facilities, 16 residential designs, and eight commercial buildings.

Shortlist Announced For 2015 RIBA London Awards

James Taylor-Foster — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 05:00:51 +0000

A total of 68 buildings have been shortlisted for RIBA London 2015 Awards, featuring buildings by AHMM, dRMM, John McAslan + Partners and Grimshaw, to Níall McLaughlin Architects, Eric Parry Architects, and Rogers Stirk Harbour. Winning projects from last year included three Stirling Prize shortlisted projects, as well as another by Haworth Tompkins who ultimately took the prize in 2014 for the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool. All shortlisted buildings will now be assessed by a regional jury. Regional winners will then be considered for a RIBA National Award in recognition of their architectural excellence, the results of which will place some projects in the running for the 2015 RIBA Stirling Prize.