Who won the RIBA Stirling Prize 2025?

Witherford Watson Mann Architects, for the Appleby Blue Almshouse in Bermondsey, south London — a contemporary almshouse for elderly residents. This is the practice's second Stirling, after the 2013 win for Astley Castle.

What is the RIBA Stirling Prize?

An annual award given by the Royal Institute of British Architects for the building judged to have made the greatest contribution to British architecture in the past year. Named for the late James Stirling, the prize was inaugurated in 1996. Unlike the Pritzker, which honours an architect for a body of work, the Stirling Prize honours a single building.

Which architects have won the Stirling Prize most times?

Foster + Partners and Wilkinson Eyre have each won the prize three times; Zaha Hadid Architects has won twice (consecutively, in 2010 and 2011). Witherford Watson Mann won in 2013 and 2025. Several Pritzker laureates have won — Herzog & de Meuron, Hadid, David Chipperfield, Richard Rogers, and Grafton Architects.

When did infrastructure first win the Stirling Prize?

In 2024, when the Elizabeth Line — London's decade-long Crossrail project — became the first infrastructure scheme to take the prize. The win was awarded jointly to the architectural and engineering teams led by Grimshaw, Maynard, Equation, and AtkinsRéalis.

Who founded the Stirling Prize?

The Royal Institute of British Architects established the Stirling Prize in 1996, naming it for James Stirling, the British architect (and 1981 Pritzker laureate) who had died in 1992. The prize is the RIBA's headline award and is announced each autumn following a shortlist of six buildings.

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RIBA Stirling Prize, 1996–2025.

Every RIBA Stirling Prize-winning building since the Royal Institute of British Architects established the award in 1996. Named for the late James Stirling — 1981 Pritzker laureate — the prize honours a single building per year for its contribution to British architecture. The 2020 edition was paused. Several winners cross-reference architects on the Pritzker laureate page. Maintained by the office; corrections to editor@faxoffice1987.com.

Last updated · 15 MAY 2026 · See also: Pritzker laureates

1996
Centenary Building, University of Salford
Hodder AssociatesSalford, UK
Inaugural prize. A modest teaching block in Greater Manchester.
1997
Music School, Stuttgart
James Stirling, Michael Wilford and AssociatesStuttgart, Germany
The prize's namesake firm took the second edition, posthumously through the practice.
1998
American Air Museum, Duxford
Foster + PartnersCambridgeshire, UK
Glass dome over wartime aircraft. Foster's first Stirling.
1999
NatWest Media Centre, Lord's
Future SystemsLondon, UK
Aluminium pod above the cricket ground. Built like a yacht hull.
2000
Peckham Library and Media Centre
Alsop & StörmerLondon, UK
Will Alsop's pre-cast concrete and copper-clad civic anchor in south London.
2001
MAGNA
Wilkinson Eyre ArchitectsRotherham, UK
Repurposed steelworks turned into a science adventure centre.
2002
Gateshead Millennium Bridge
Wilkinson Eyre ArchitectsGateshead, UK
Tilting pedestrian bridge across the Tyne. Wilkinson Eyre's second consecutive win.
2003
Laban Dance Centre
Herzog & de MeuronLondon, UK
Coloured polycarbonate facade in Deptford. The Pritzker laureates' first Stirling.
2004
30 St Mary Axe
Foster + PartnersLondon, UK
The Gherkin. Foster's second Stirling.
2005
The Scottish Parliament
EMBT (Miralles Tagliabue) with RMJMEdinburgh, UK
Enric Miralles' fragmented civic building, completed after his death.
2006
Barajas Airport Terminal 4
Richard Rogers Partnership with Estudio LamelaMadrid, Spain
Bamboo-ceilinged terminal. Rogers' first Stirling, ahead of his 2007 Pritzker.
2007
Museum of Modern Literature
David Chipperfield ArchitectsMarbach am Neckar, Germany
Chipperfield's restrained museum overlooking the Neckar valley.
2008
Accordia housing development
Feilden Clegg Bradley, Alison Brooks Architects, Maccreanor LavingtonCambridge, UK
First housing scheme to win. A density-and-greenery argument.
2009
Maggie's Centre, Charing Cross Hospital
Rogers Stirk Harbour + PartnersLondon, UK
Cancer-care drop-in. Rogers' second Stirling, this one for charity.
2010
MAXXI Museum
Zaha Hadid ArchitectsRome, Italy
Hadid's concrete-ribbon contemporary museum. Her first Stirling, six years after the Pritzker.
2011
Evelyn Grace Academy
Zaha Hadid ArchitectsLondon, UK
Brixton secondary school with a running track threading through the plan. Hadid's second consecutive.
2012
Sainsbury Laboratory
Stanton WilliamsCambridge, UK
Plant-science lab in Cambridge's botanic garden. Restrained stone and glass.
2013
Astley Castle
Witherford Watson MannWarwickshire, UK
Modern house inserted into a ruined Tudor shell. Adaptive reuse as method.
2014
Liverpool Everyman Theatre
Haworth TompkinsLiverpool, UK
Theatre rebuild that kept the original site's civic memory.
2015
Burntwood School
Allford Hall Monaghan MorrisWandsworth, London, UK
State secondary school. The prize's clearest argument for public-realm investment.
2016
Newport Street Gallery
Caruso St John ArchitectsVauxhall, London, UK
Damien Hirst's private gallery; a brick conversion of five Victorian buildings.
2017
Hastings Pier
dRMMHastings, UK
Community-rebuilt seaside pier after the 2010 fire. Sold the year after for £60,000.
2018
Bloomberg London
Foster + PartnersLondon, UK
Bronze-finned City of London HQ. Foster's third Stirling, his last to date.
2019
Goldsmith Street
Mikhail Riches with Cathy HawleyNorwich, UK
First social-housing scheme to win the prize. Passivhaus-certified terraces.
2021
Kingston University Town House
Grafton ArchitectsKingston upon Thames, UK
Civic library + dance studio + lecture hall stacked. Grafton's first Stirling, one year after Pritzker.
2022
Magdalene College New Library
Níall McLaughlin ArchitectsCambridge, UK
Timber library with vaulted reading rooms. Quiet collegiate restraint.
2023
The John Morden Centre
MæBlackheath, London, UK
Day centre for residents of a 17th-century almshouse. Healthcare architecture as social work.
2024
Elizabeth Line
Grimshaw, Maynard, Equation, AtkinsRéalisLondon, UK
The Crossrail line. First infrastructure project to win. A decade of design, 100km of tunnel.
2025
Appleby Blue Almshouse
Witherford Watson Mann ArchitectsBermondsey, London, UK
Modern almshouse for elderly residents. Witherford Watson Mann's second Stirling.

A note on 2020

There was no 2020 ceremony. The award was paused as institutions worldwide cleared their calendars; the 2021 winner — Grafton Architects’ Kingston University Town House — was selected from the 2020 shortlist.

Frequently asked

Who won the RIBA Stirling Prize 2025?: Witherford Watson Mann Architects, for the Appleby Blue Almshouse in Bermondsey, south London — a contemporary almshouse for elderly residents. This is the practice's second Stirling, after the 2013 win for Astley Castle.
What is the RIBA Stirling Prize?: An annual award given by the Royal Institute of British Architects for the building judged to have made the greatest contribution to British architecture in the past year. Named for the late James Stirling, the prize was inaugurated in 1996. Unlike the Pritzker, which honours an architect for a body of work, the Stirling Prize honours a single building.
Which architects have won the Stirling Prize most times?: Foster + Partners and Wilkinson Eyre have each won the prize three times; Zaha Hadid Architects has won twice (consecutively, in 2010 and 2011). Witherford Watson Mann won in 2013 and 2025. Several Pritzker laureates have won — Herzog & de Meuron, Hadid, David Chipperfield, Richard Rogers, and Grafton Architects.
Was there a winner in 2020?: No. The 2020 edition was paused as the pandemic disrupted the awards calendar. The 2021 winner — Grafton Architects' Kingston University Town House — was selected from the 2020 shortlist, with the ceremony rescheduled. The prize has been awarded every year since 1996 with this single exception.
When did infrastructure first win the Stirling Prize?: In 2024, when the Elizabeth Line — London's decade-long Crossrail project — became the first infrastructure scheme to take the prize. The win was awarded jointly to the architectural and engineering teams led by Grimshaw, Maynard, Equation, and AtkinsRéalis.
Who founded the Stirling Prize?: The Royal Institute of British Architects established the Stirling Prize in 1996, naming it for James Stirling, the British architect (and 1981 Pritzker laureate) who had died in 1992. The prize is the RIBA's headline award and is announced each autumn following a shortlist of six buildings.

Sources

Maintained by the office · One editor in Istanbul, AI in the loop, edited by hand.

RIBA Stirling Prize, 1996–2025.

1996

Centenary Building, University of Salford

Hodder AssociatesSalford, UK

Inaugural prize. A modest teaching block in Greater Manchester.

1997

Music School, Stuttgart

James Stirling, Michael Wilford and AssociatesStuttgart, Germany

The prize's namesake firm took the second edition, posthumously through the practice.

1998

American Air Museum, Duxford

Foster + PartnersCambridgeshire, UK

Glass dome over wartime aircraft. Foster's first Stirling.

1999

NatWest Media Centre, Lord's

Future SystemsLondon, UK

Aluminium pod above the cricket ground. Built like a yacht hull.

2000

Peckham Library and Media Centre

Alsop & StörmerLondon, UK

Will Alsop's pre-cast concrete and copper-clad civic anchor in south London.

2001

MAGNA

Wilkinson Eyre ArchitectsRotherham, UK

Repurposed steelworks turned into a science adventure centre.

2002

Gateshead Millennium Bridge

Wilkinson Eyre ArchitectsGateshead, UK

Tilting pedestrian bridge across the Tyne. Wilkinson Eyre's second consecutive win.

2003

Laban Dance Centre

Herzog & de MeuronLondon, UK

Coloured polycarbonate facade in Deptford. The Pritzker laureates' first Stirling.

2004

30 St Mary Axe

Foster + PartnersLondon, UK

The Gherkin. Foster's second Stirling.

2005

The Scottish Parliament

EMBT (Miralles Tagliabue) with RMJMEdinburgh, UK

Enric Miralles' fragmented civic building, completed after his death.

2006

Barajas Airport Terminal 4

Richard Rogers Partnership with Estudio LamelaMadrid, Spain

Bamboo-ceilinged terminal. Rogers' first Stirling, ahead of his 2007 Pritzker.

2007

Museum of Modern Literature

David Chipperfield ArchitectsMarbach am Neckar, Germany

Chipperfield's restrained museum overlooking the Neckar valley.

2008

Accordia housing development

Feilden Clegg Bradley, Alison Brooks Architects, Maccreanor LavingtonCambridge, UK

First housing scheme to win. A density-and-greenery argument.

2009

Maggie's Centre, Charing Cross Hospital

Rogers Stirk Harbour + PartnersLondon, UK

Cancer-care drop-in. Rogers' second Stirling, this one for charity.

2010

MAXXI Museum

Zaha Hadid ArchitectsRome, Italy

Hadid's concrete-ribbon contemporary museum. Her first Stirling, six years after the Pritzker.

2011

Evelyn Grace Academy

Zaha Hadid ArchitectsLondon, UK

Brixton secondary school with a running track threading through the plan. Hadid's second consecutive.

2012

Sainsbury Laboratory

Stanton WilliamsCambridge, UK

Plant-science lab in Cambridge's botanic garden. Restrained stone and glass.

2013

Astley Castle

Witherford Watson MannWarwickshire, UK

Modern house inserted into a ruined Tudor shell. Adaptive reuse as method.

2014

Liverpool Everyman Theatre

Haworth TompkinsLiverpool, UK

Theatre rebuild that kept the original site's civic memory.

2015

Burntwood School

Allford Hall Monaghan MorrisWandsworth, London, UK

State secondary school. The prize's clearest argument for public-realm investment.

2016

Newport Street Gallery

Caruso St John ArchitectsVauxhall, London, UK

Damien Hirst's private gallery; a brick conversion of five Victorian buildings.

2017

Hastings Pier

dRMMHastings, UK

Community-rebuilt seaside pier after the 2010 fire. Sold the year after for £60,000.

2018

Bloomberg London

Foster + PartnersLondon, UK

Bronze-finned City of London HQ. Foster's third Stirling, his last to date.

2019

Goldsmith Street

Mikhail Riches with Cathy HawleyNorwich, UK

First social-housing scheme to win the prize. Passivhaus-certified terraces.

2021

Kingston University Town House

Grafton ArchitectsKingston upon Thames, UK

Civic library + dance studio + lecture hall stacked. Grafton's first Stirling, one year after Pritzker.

2022

Magdalene College New Library

Níall McLaughlin ArchitectsCambridge, UK

Timber library with vaulted reading rooms. Quiet collegiate restraint.

2023

The John Morden Centre

MæBlackheath, London, UK

Day centre for residents of a 17th-century almshouse. Healthcare architecture as social work.

2024

Elizabeth Line

Grimshaw, Maynard, Equation, AtkinsRéalisLondon, UK

The Crossrail line. First infrastructure project to win. A decade of design, 100km of tunnel.

2025

Appleby Blue Almshouse

Witherford Watson Mann ArchitectsBermondsey, London, UK

Modern almshouse for elderly residents. Witherford Watson Mann's second Stirling.

A note on 2020

Frequently asked

Who won the RIBA Stirling Prize 2025?: Witherford Watson Mann Architects, for the Appleby Blue Almshouse in Bermondsey, south London — a contemporary almshouse for elderly residents. This is the practice's second Stirling, after the 2013 win for Astley Castle.
What is the RIBA Stirling Prize?: An annual award given by the Royal Institute of British Architects for the building judged to have made the greatest contribution to British architecture in the past year. Named for the late James Stirling, the prize was inaugurated in 1996. Unlike the Pritzker, which honours an architect for a body of work, the Stirling Prize honours a single building.
Which architects have won the Stirling Prize most times?: Foster + Partners and Wilkinson Eyre have each won the prize three times; Zaha Hadid Architects has won twice (consecutively, in 2010 and 2011). Witherford Watson Mann won in 2013 and 2025. Several Pritzker laureates have won — Herzog & de Meuron, Hadid, David Chipperfield, Richard Rogers, and Grafton Architects.
Was there a winner in 2020?: No. The 2020 edition was paused as the pandemic disrupted the awards calendar. The 2021 winner — Grafton Architects' Kingston University Town House — was selected from the 2020 shortlist, with the ceremony rescheduled. The prize has been awarded every year since 1996 with this single exception.
When did infrastructure first win the Stirling Prize?: In 2024, when the Elizabeth Line — London's decade-long Crossrail project — became the first infrastructure scheme to take the prize. The win was awarded jointly to the architectural and engineering teams led by Grimshaw, Maynard, Equation, and AtkinsRéalis.
Who founded the Stirling Prize?: The Royal Institute of British Architects established the Stirling Prize in 1996, naming it for James Stirling, the British architect (and 1981 Pritzker laureate) who had died in 1992. The prize is the RIBA's headline award and is announced each autumn following a shortlist of six buildings.

Maintained by the office · One editor in Istanbul, AI in the loop, edited by hand.