The Stirling Prize shortlist 2025 is out – six projects competing for Britain’s most prestigious architectural award. The line-up balances the old and the new: the painstaking restoration of one of the country’s most recognisable landmarks, a cutting-edge research hub, and a reimagined almshouse sit alongside a vertical campus for fashion, and a Japanese-inspired home. The winner will be announced live at the Roundhouse on 16 October. Artlyst asks ChatGPT who will be the winner! (see Below)
Chris Williamson, beginning his term as RIBA President on 1 September, wasted no time framing the stakes. Climate crisis, technological upheaval, and economic strain, he warned, pose “existential” challenges to the profession. But he also insisted these threats open a space for architecture to “lead from the front.”
Ahead of the official reveal, we asked AI to predict a winner out of the six shortlisted buildings. The system claims to weigh scale, innovation, social impact, heritage, and sustainability in its “informed guess.” Its results leaned heavily on London and the South – a choice some might call predictable.
The 2025 nominees:
Appleby Blue Almshouse by Witherford Watson Mann Architects
Elizabeth Tower by Purcell
Hastings House by Hugh Strange Architects
London College of Fashion by Allies and Morrison
Niwa House by Takero Shimazaki Architects
The Discovery Centre by Herzog and de Meuron/BDP
Riba president Chris Williamson said the shortlisted projects all “demonstrate architecture’s unique ability to address some of the most urgent challenges of our time, responding with creativity, adaptability and care”.
Each offers “a blueprint for how architecture can enrich society”, and they show a “hopeful vision for the future, one where architecture strengthens communities and helps shape a more sustainable and inclusive built environment”, he added.
Stirling Prize 2025: Who’s Most Likely to Take the Crown?
This year’s contenders reflect architecture’s schizophrenic reach—from high-tech science labs and lofty campuses to whispered domesticity and national symbols. Here’s how they stack up:
Elizabeth Tower by Purcell
A flawless revival of Britain’s most iconic landmark. Purcell’s renovation isn’t nostalgia—it’s scrupulous craftsmanship that breathes new life into stone and mechanism. A crowd-pleaser and potential juror favourite, this is heritage made thrilling.
The GuardianWallpaper*
London College of Fashion by Allies and Morrison
A “vertical campus” soaring over Stratford. It’s not just height—it’s an architectural manifesto: concrete, maple, elevated staircases, and social corridors etched with dynamism. Bold, city-making, youthful.
Wallpaper*
The Discovery Centre, Cambridge by Herzog & de Meuron / BDP
A biotech building that refuses to be hidden. This saw-toothed glass ring glorifies transparency—literal and procedural—turning the lab into a public arena for collaboration and discovery.
The Guardian,RIBA Journal
Appleby Blue Almshouse by Witherford Watson Mann
Architecture as social architecture: generous, community-anchored design that refuses invisibility. Its glazed communal spaces feel radical in an age that often sidelines older generations.
The Guardian
Hastings House by Hugh Strange
Small-scale but soulful. A timber-framed whisper of domestic reinvention. Quiet architecture that doesn’t scream—just breathes new life into old walls without fanfare.
The Guardian
Niwa House by Takero Shimazaki
Minimalist, thoughtful, rooted in Japanese tradition—yet oddly radical in its embrace of accessible, fluid living. A delicate curve against the Stirling’s usual formal bravado.
The Guardian
Artlyst’s Take — Pick of the Bunch
Front-runner: Elizabeth Tower feels like a lock—deeply resonant with national identity and impeccably executed. Dark horse: London College of Fashion could upend expectations with its audacity and cultural punch. Wildcard: Discovery Centre—if the jury swings toward civic transparency and innovation, this building could surprise.
AI’s Choice:
The Discovery Centre by Herzog and de Meuron/BDP