Union Terrace Gardens in Aberdeen is named the winner of the 2025 Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS). The regeneration project, designed by Stallan-Brand Architecture + Design and LDA Design, is located in the heart of the city and proudly stands as an inclusive, cultural landmark.
Union Terrace Gardens in Aberdeen is 2025 Best Building in Scotland
It has been nearly 150 years since Union Terrace Gardens, a valuable open space for the city, first opened to the public, in 1879. The refurbishment project, which cost £28.3 million, injected verdant new life into the space.
New pavilions take on a lantern-like form, in a gentle nod to the city’s historic trams. Through the three pavilions, featuring a new café, a restaurant and a wine bar, visitors are invited, metaphorically, to explore the landscape. The restoration project also had a heavy emphasis on conserving the historic nature of the place. The architects made sure to restore statues, railings, arcade arches and Victorian toilets.
Union Terrace Gardens is situated at the heart of a cluster of cultural institutions, including Aberdeen Art Gallery, His Majesty’s Theatre and Aberdeen Central Library. The project has brought life back into the gardens, with architectural interventions such as accessibility and restored historic features creating an inclusive public space for all to enjoy.
This year's jury consisted of architect Mary Duggan (founder, Mary Duggan Architect), Richard Waite (news editor, The Architects’ Journal) and Gordon Murray (research and design consultant, Gordon Murray Architects), all of whom looked at the contending projects’ architectural integrity, usability and context, delivery and execution, and sustainability.
All building typologies are eligible for the annual award, and the 2025 shortlist was one of the most diverse in its history. Alongside Union Terrace Gardens, the shortlist featured a new road bridge in the Cairngorms, new facilities for the University of Edinburgh, and a restored historic tower house in the Highlands.
Architect Mary Duggan, who chaired the RIAS Doolan Award jury, says: ‘Union Terrace Gardens draws people in without intimidation: an open invitation that promotes a sense of community through a genuine public offering, and delivers precisely the opposite of what the space had become through years of neglect. Beyond its architectural and horticultural precision, the project is a demonstration of civic governance, endurance and responsibility.’
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