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A contemporary reimagining of the almshouse, designed to address social isolation, has been awarded the prestigious Stirling Prize for Britain’s best new building.
Appleby Blue Almshouse, a Southwark, London development providing affordable housing for individuals over 65, has been named the winner of this year’s Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA) Stirling Prize.
Located in Bermondsey, the complex features 59 apartments alongside communal amenities, including a rooftop garden, courtyard, and shared kitchen.
The Stirling Prize jury lauded the project for “setting an ambitious standard for social housing for older people.”
According to jury member Ingrid Schroder, Director of the Architectural Association (AA) School of Architecture, architects Witherford Watson Mann have created “high-quality” and “thoughtful” spaces, fostering environments that genuinely prioritize resident well-being.
The building was commended for its “generous” homes, terracotta-paved hallways adorned with benches and greenery, and a water feature that imbues the building with “the sense of a woodland oasis.”
RIBA noted that these elements collectively create an “aspirational living environment” that stands “in stark contrast to the institutional atmosphere often associated with older people’s housing.”
Appleby Blue Almshouse was commissioned by United St Saviour’s Charity on the site of a former care home, with the charity subsidizing the apartments for low-income residents.
Almshouses have historically provided charitable housing for those in need since the Middle Ages.
Appleby Blue emerged victorious over a diverse shortlist of nominated buildings and architectural projects, ranging from the restoration of the Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) to a new fashion college campus, a science laboratory, and an innovative home extension.
The other contenders were:
The prize is awarded to the building deemed “the most significant of the year for the evolution of architecture and the built environment,” and is judged on criteria including design vision, innovation, and originality.
This marks Witherford Watson Mann’s second Stirling Prize win, following their selection 12 years ago for the design of a groundbreaking modern holiday home within the ruins of Astley Castle in Warwickshire.
The Elizabeth Line, London’s cross-city railway, received the prestigious award last year.
Previous winners of the prize, which was first presented in 1996, include Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre, Hastings Pier, and the Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh.
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