The Elizabeth line, London’s new rail network that began operation in 2022, has been nominated for the 2024 RIBA Stirling Prize for architecture. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) also recognized the National Portrait Gallery, a social housing project in East London, and a renovated dairy farm in Dorset made more accessible for wheelchair users.
This year, four out of the six nominees are based in London. The winner will be announced in October at the Roundhouse in the capital. Last year’s prize went to the John Morden Centre, a retirement day care facility in London.
The Stirling Prize, awarded annually since 1996, honors the architect of a building deemed the most significant of the year based on design vision, innovation, and originality. Previous winners include Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre, Hastings Pier, and the Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh.
Despite opening in 2022, the Elizabeth line was ineligible for the prize until this year due to eligibility rules requiring projects to be operational for at least one year. To qualify this year, projects must have been completed between October 2020 and December 2022.