The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the 34 winning projects of its RIBA International Awards for Excellence 2026 (from a shortlist of 52), recognising the world's best new architecture across 15 countries. From a carbon-neutral furniture factory in Norway to a performing arts centre inside one of the world's largest refugee settlements in Uganda, this year's cohort reflects the full breadth of what architecture can achieve when it rises to meet the challenges of our time. All of the winners are now in contention for the prestigious RIBA International Prize, to be announced at a ceremony in London on 15 October 2026.
Several themes run through this year's selection, which serves as a snapshot of the concerns and ambitions that define architecture in 2026.
Breathing new life into old structures
One of the most striking threads is the imaginative reuse of existing buildings. In Kristiansand, Norway, Mestres Wåge, Bax and Mendoza Partida have transformed a former grain silo into a contemporary art museum, Kunstsilo. In Berne, BHSF Architektur & Städtebau's Transformation Warmbächli converts a disused Chocolat Tobler warehouse into cooperative housing.
In Kristiansand, Norway, Mestres Wåge, Bax and Mendoza Partida have transformed a former grain silo into a contemporary art museum, Kunstsilo
David Chipperfield Architects and Arquitectonica have reimagined a historic Shanghai neighbourhood as Rockbund, a new cultural district. And in Jingdezhen – China's porcelain capital – two abandoned ceramic factories have been reborn as the Taoxichuan Ceramic Culture Industrial Park, by Jie Zhang, Beijing An-Design Architects and THUPDI.
In Berne, BHSF Architektur & Städtebau's Transformation Warmbächli converts a disused Chocolat Tobler warehouse into cooperative housing
David Chipperfield Architects and Arquitectonica have reimagined a historic Shanghai neighbourhood as Rockbund, a new cultural district
Designing for a changing climate
Climate-responsive design has always been central to good architecture, but it carries particular urgency in 2026. In Courthézon, France, Studio Mumbai and Studio Méditerranée’s Château de Beaucastel winery relies entirely on natural airflow and shade for cooling. Parikrama by Spasm Design Architects, in Nandgaon, India, uses shaded walkways and natural ventilation to counter intense regional heat. On Australia's exposed coastline, Wardle's Burnt Earth Beach House uses handmade terracotta to create a resilient, multi-generational family home.
In Courthézon, France, Studio Mumbai and Studio Méditerranée’s Château de Beaucastel winery relies entirely on natural airflow and shade for cooling
On Australia's exposed coastline, Wardle's Burnt Earth Beach House uses handmade terracotta to create a resilient, multi-generational family home
In Ho Chi Minh City, VTN Architects' Urban Farming Office wraps its façade in greenery – cooling the building while also growing food in the urban core. Perhaps the boldest sustainability statement of all comes from Norway, where Bjarke Ingels Group's The Plus is a carbon-neutral furniture factory and public park built from local timber, which cuts energy demand by up to 90 per cent through solar power and rainwater harvesting.
In Ho Chi Minh City, VTN Architects' Urban Farming Office wraps its façade in greenery
Bjarke Ingels Group's The Plus is a carbon-neutral furniture factory and public park built from local timber
Architecture in service of community
Several winners demonstrate architecture's capacity to strengthen the communities it serves. Hassell's Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre brings a dedicated cultural space to the Yumbe District of Uganda, home to one of the world's largest refugee settlements. In Sydney, Fjcstudio's Darlington Public School weaves indigenous heritage into a contemporary learning environment. Woha's Brac University in Dhaka transforms a former landfill into a vibrant, climate-conscious campus. And Schmidt Hammer Lassen's Shanghai Library East reimagines the public library as an open, connective landscape which functions as a gathering place for the city while housing 4.8 million books.
Hassell's Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre brings a dedicated cultural space to the Yumbe District of Uganda
Schmidt Hammer Lassen's Shanghai Library East reimagines the public library as an open, connective landscape
Woha's Brac University in Dhaka transforms a former landfill into a vibrant, climate-conscious campus
Awards group chair Neil Gillespie captured the spirit of the selection: ‘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.’
The Riba International Prize shortlist will be announced ahead of the ceremony on 15 October.