The best building in London has been crowned for 2025
One thing about London is that it has buildings galore. There are weird futuristic towers, imposing brutalist monuments, gothic spires and centuries-old landmarks. The capital is an architecture enthusiast's dream.
Every year, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) celebrates the best newest additions to London's architectural scene. This year, there were a total of 38 London buildings acknowledged at the awards, but there was one project that stood out above the rest. Tower Hamlets Town Hall was crowned the RIBA London Building of the Year 2025.
The award-winning town hall sits in the former Royal London Hospital, which was part of Whitechapel Road's DNA for more than 250 years. The hospital relocated in 2012, leaving the Grade II-listed building empty and derelict, but then, Tower Hamlets borough council bought the the building in 2015 and called in architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) to convert it into its new headquarters.
The £124.75m transformation was completed in 2023. AHMM combined original parts of the building with new, more modern additions. The Grade II-listed 1906 staircases are still there and many original features of the operating theatres, now used as meeting rooms, remain. More reminders of the former hospital include exposed old brickwork and neoclassical windows.
RIBA judges lauded Tower Hamlets Town Hall for being a 'tour de force of reinvention, combining a sensitivity to the existing building's story with a sharpness of contemporary detailing'. They called the conversion 'sensitive and brave, creating a modern, civic home for council administration, local services and democracy'. Here are some more pics of the place.
Other buildings included in the RIBA London Awards 2025 include the Young V&A in Bethnal Green, the renovation of Elizabeth Tower and the London College of Fashion in Stratford. Here's the full list of winners.
RIBA London Award Winners 2025
East
The Gilbert and George Centre, Spitalfields
Young V&A, Bethnal Green
Tower Court, Stamford Hill
8 Bleeding Heart Yard, Farringdon
Mary Ward Centre, Stratford
Becontree Avenue, Dagenham
Catching Sun House, Walthamstow
London College of Fashion, Stratford
St Mary's Walthamstow, east London
Central Foundation Boys' School, Islington
Tower Hamlets Town Hall, Whitechapel
North
Maitland Park Estate Redevelopment, Camden
New Wave House, Brent
Haringey Brick Bungalow, Haringey
Technique, Islington
Pine Heath, Camden
Southeast
Sidcup Storyteller, Bexley
Blenheim Grove, Southwark
Citizens House, Lewisham
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Southwark
Harfield Gardens, Southwark
Idlewild Mews, Croydon
WorkStack, Greenwich
Design Distrcit C1 and D1, Greenwich
Niwa House, Southwark
Appleby Blue Almshouse, Southwark
Southwest
Lower Ham, Kingston-upon-Thames
Costa's Barbers, Wandsworth
Royal College of Music, Westminster
Elizabeth Tower, Westminster
Chelsea Brut, Kensington and Chelsea
V&A Photography Centre, Kensington and Chelsea
West
Quadrangle Building, King's College London, Westminster
The Greenhill Building, Harrow Arts Centre, Harrow
Chancery House, City of London
Soho Place, Westminster
Hallelujah Project, Westminster
Daventry House, Westminster
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Time Out
14-05-2025
- Time Out
The best building in London has been crowned for 2025
One thing about London is that it has buildings galore. There are weird futuristic towers, imposing brutalist monuments, gothic spires and centuries-old landmarks. The capital is an architecture enthusiast's dream. Every year, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) celebrates the best newest additions to London's architectural scene. This year, there were a total of 38 London buildings acknowledged at the awards, but there was one project that stood out above the rest. Tower Hamlets Town Hall was crowned the RIBA London Building of the Year 2025. The award-winning town hall sits in the former Royal London Hospital, which was part of Whitechapel Road's DNA for more than 250 years. The hospital relocated in 2012, leaving the Grade II-listed building empty and derelict, but then, Tower Hamlets borough council bought the the building in 2015 and called in architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) to convert it into its new headquarters. The £124.75m transformation was completed in 2023. AHMM combined original parts of the building with new, more modern additions. The Grade II-listed 1906 staircases are still there and many original features of the operating theatres, now used as meeting rooms, remain. More reminders of the former hospital include exposed old brickwork and neoclassical windows. RIBA judges lauded Tower Hamlets Town Hall for being a 'tour de force of reinvention, combining a sensitivity to the existing building's story with a sharpness of contemporary detailing'. They called the conversion 'sensitive and brave, creating a modern, civic home for council administration, local services and democracy'. Here are some more pics of the place. Other buildings included in the RIBA London Awards 2025 include the Young V&A in Bethnal Green, the renovation of Elizabeth Tower and the London College of Fashion in Stratford. Here's the full list of winners. RIBA London Award Winners 2025 East The Gilbert and George Centre, Spitalfields Young V&A, Bethnal Green Tower Court, Stamford Hill 8 Bleeding Heart Yard, Farringdon Mary Ward Centre, Stratford Becontree Avenue, Dagenham Catching Sun House, Walthamstow London College of Fashion, Stratford St Mary's Walthamstow, east London Central Foundation Boys' School, Islington Tower Hamlets Town Hall, Whitechapel North Maitland Park Estate Redevelopment, Camden New Wave House, Brent Haringey Brick Bungalow, Haringey Technique, Islington Pine Heath, Camden Southeast Sidcup Storyteller, Bexley Blenheim Grove, Southwark Citizens House, Lewisham Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Southwark Harfield Gardens, Southwark Idlewild Mews, Croydon WorkStack, Greenwich Design Distrcit C1 and D1, Greenwich Niwa House, Southwark Appleby Blue Almshouse, Southwark Southwest Lower Ham, Kingston-upon-Thames Costa's Barbers, Wandsworth Royal College of Music, Westminster Elizabeth Tower, Westminster Chelsea Brut, Kensington and Chelsea V&A Photography Centre, Kensington and Chelsea West Quadrangle Building, King's College London, Westminster The Greenhill Building, Harrow Arts Centre, Harrow Chancery House, City of London Soho Place, Westminster Hallelujah Project, Westminster Daventry House, Westminster
BBC News
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BBC News
16-10-2024
- BBC News
London's Elizabeth line wins 2024 Riba Stirling Prize for architecture
The Elizabeth line, London's newest train line, has been awarded the UK's most prestigious architecture Stirling Prize is normally awarded by the Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) to the country's best new building, but this year it has gone to the entire 62-mile network and its 10 new judges praised its "slick suite of architectural components", in which "the typical commuter chaos is transformed into an effortless experience".Not all passengers will share that view. Some have complained about delays and overcrowding, and three have told BBC London they were injured at Ealing Broadway station because the gap between the platform and the trains is too big. The line, which runs from east to west via central London, opened in 2022 and transports more than 700,000 passengers every station areas were built at Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf, among other locations."It is an extraordinarily complex architectural feat masked by an elegant simplicity," Riba said. Riba president and jury chair Muyiwa Oki said: "The Elizabeth line is a triumph in architect-led collaboration, offering a flawless, efficient, beautifully choreographed solution to inner-city transport."It's an uncluttered canvas that incorporates a slick suite of architectural components to create a consistent, line-wide identity - through which thousands of daily passengers navigate with ease."Descending into the colossal network of tunnels feels like entering a portal to the future, where the typical commuter chaos is transformed into an effortless experience."He added that it is "architecture of the digital age", which "utilises cutting-edge technology to create distinctive spatial characteristics and experiences", and "sets a bold new standard for civic infrastructure". The Elizabeth line was formerly known as Crossrail before being renamed after Queen Elizabeth was designed by a group of architects, engineers and designers including Grimshaw, Maynard, Equation and AtkinsRé McClements, a partner at Grimshaw, said: "The Elizabeth line is a piece of infrastructure that has been transformative, not only for London's transport network but also for many people's lives, highlighting the role design plays in elevating our every day."The award comes almost a year after London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the Elizabeth line had "not met the consistently high standards" expected by Stirling Prize winners include Goldsmith Street council housing in Norwich and The New Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge. The other Stirling Prize 2024 nominees: Chowdhury Walk, London (designed by Al-Jawad Pike)King's Cross Masterplan, London (Allies and Morrison and Porphyrios Associates)National Portrait Gallery, London (Jamie Fobert Architects and Purcell)Park Hill phase two, Sheffield (Mikhail Riches)Wraxall Yard, Dorset (Clementine Blakemore Architects)
