Brick Award 26 Architecture shortlist, UK architectural prize news, Buildings photos, Architects

Brick Award 26 Shortlist for Architecture Projects

18 October 2025

UCCA Clay Museum building design by Kengo Kuma:

photo : Fangfang Tian

The World’s 50 Most Inspiring Brick Buildings Revealed

A fascinating showcase of some of the most beautiful and innovative buildings from across the world has been revealed with the announcement of the shortlist for the prestigious international BRICK AWARD 26.

Casa Tijolos building design by Brancos:

photo : Oana Franca

Presented once every two years, since 2004 the BRICK AWARD has been giving architects a platform for their unique designs and celebrating brick and ceramic building products as timeless materials for innovative and forward-looking architecture. Hosted by wienerberger – one of the leading providers of innovative, ecological solutions for the entire building envelope in the fields of new build and renovation, as well as infrastructure in water and energy management – all 50 shortlisted nominees of the awards will earn a place in the iconic BRICK 26 Book.

Claze Azul warehouse & office building design by Atelier ARS:

photo : Cesar Bejar

Although wienerberger is the organiser and host of the award, the BRICK AWARD is run independently. Participation does not require the use of wienerberger products, and product use is not a deciding factor in the selection process.

Tianjin Zhongshuge building design by X+Living Architecture:

photo : SFAP

The award is presented in five categories: Feeling at home (single houses and small projects); Living together (urban residential developments); Working together (commercial and industrial buildings); Sharing public spaces (public buildings and spaces); and Building outside the box (innovation).

Slovenian National Theater building design by Vidic Grohar Arhitekti:

photo : Maxime Delvaux

A truly international award, this year’s shortlist spans five continents and features 50 projects from 21 countries, selected from a total of 849 submissions by an expert pre-jury panel comprising journalist and author Wojciech Czaja; ceramic artist, designer, and architect Maria Gasparian; and Špela Kuhar, architect and founder of the Centre of Architecture Slovenia.

Leipzig Cognertation Plant building design by Atelier ST:

photo : Atelier ST – Duc Viet Nguyen

The BRICK AWARD 26 winners are chosen from the shortlist by an international jury of renowned architects and designers. This year’s jury members are:

– Gabriela Carrillo, co-founder of Colectivo C733
– Christine Conix, co-founder of Conix RDBM
– Jens Linnet, co-founder of BOGL
– Traudy Pelzel, co-founder of MAP studio
– Eduardo Mediero, founder of HANGHAR

The awards ceremony will take place on June 11, 2026, in Vienna, Austria.

MHM building design by KTA:

photo : L Showell

Shortlisted entries from the Middle East include the Shafagh Tomb in the small city of Ardakan, in central Iran, which features an inverted dome and inscriptions flowing freely across its surface, transforming the architecture into a canvas that celebrates freedom of expression. Acting as a gateway to the cemetery, the Shafaq Tomb redefines a traditionally private space as a monument for all – a place where the sacred meets the everyday.

In Asia, the shortlisted Aga Khan Academy in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, comprises a series of four-storey brick-clad buildings that nestle within a highly developed urban site bordered by a large motorway. Arranged around green outdoor spaces, they offer relief from these built-up surroundings, creating external areas for both play and education.

In Chennai, India, the Metallic Bellows factory office is a single-storey brick structure inspired by local brick kilns and clay-rich soil, with a focus on reducing CO2 emissions by minimising concrete use. The design features a traditional jack arch system, with downstand and peripheral beams, giving the locally sourced brickwork a light, floating appearance and artisanal character.

Highlights from China include the UCCA Clay Museum in Yixing, designed by Kengo Kuma and Associates, whose distinctive roof is defined by a series of peaks that reference the nearby Shushan mountain. Described by the studio as “an inverted shell structure carved by virtual spheres”, the framework has been cloaked with 3,600 handmade ceramic tiles glazed in dark and light brown tones, evoking the colour changes that occur in pottery as it is fired. Further north towards Beijing, the shortlisted Tianjin Zhongshuge bookstore is a three-storey building featuring a design with “waves” of custom-designed bricks and ironwork, creating a unique, immersive space for visitors.

CERAMIC HOUSE building design by Studio RAP:

photo : Riccardo De Vecchi

Moving to Europe, Dutch architecture practice Studio RAP has designed a “wave-like” facade completely clad with 3D-printed ceramic tiles fronting onto Amsterdam’s historic Hooftstraat shopping street. In Germany, working on a much larger canvas, fired clay in the form of glazed panels with a fine, irregular vertical structure was used for the facade of the plant buildings at Leipzig Cogeneration Plant. And in Slovenia, the transformation of a former industrial hall in Ljubljana into a temporary theatre focused on recycled and reusable materials, with the visible clay blocks painted silver.

Aga Khan Academy building design by Shatotto architecture for green living:

photo : Asif Salman

Reuse was also a theme at Park Hill in Sheffield, in the United Kingdom, where a Brutalist housing estate featured board-marked concrete infilled with fine-grain domestic brickwork. The reinvigorated bricks denote each “street in the sky”, and the colours of the balconies were chosen to complement the tones of the brickwork.

Park Hill Phase 2 building design by Mikhail Riches architects:

photo : Mark Hadden

At the Melbourne Holocaust Museum in Australia, an estimated 25,000 bricks were reportedly incorporated into the facade, comprising a combination of clay bricks in Ceniza and Poesia glass bricks. Arranged in a refined “hit and miss” pattern, the design carefully balances transparency and security, serving as a powerful expression of remembrance and resilience, and establishing visual and physical connections to activities, daylight, and the community.

A tequila facility provided a notable entry from Mexico, where warehousing and offices for Clase Azul La Hacienda Jalisco used local ceramics and stone from the site excavation to anchor the buildings in their volcanic topography. In Brazil, the White Bricks House was built using artisanal techniques and exposed solid bricks painted white. Varying brick spacing creates different levels of openness and privacy for each room. Careful study of the brickwork produced unique patterns and finishes, giving the project a timeless, handcrafted character.

Shafagh Tomb building design by 35-51 Architecture office:

photo : 35-51 Architecture office

64 University Place building design by KPF:

photo : KPF

Among the shortlisted entries from the USA, 64 University Place is an 11-storey residential building in Greenwich Village, New York, distinguished by its hand-laid brick masonry facade, arched windows, and a grid of pilasters. The design blends historic references from the surrounding neighbourhood with contemporary details. The brick facade showcases skilled craftsmanship, relying both on expert bricklayers and thoughtful detailing.

Shafagh Tomb architecture design by 35-51 Architecture office:

photo : 35-51 Architecture office

Set on a 4,000sqm site on the slopes of Steenberg Ridge in Cape Town, South Africa, Mountain House sits lightly within its semi-rural landscape. The design uses a restrained palette of materials that express the earth’s colours and textures, allowing the building to age gracefully. Rooted in a primordial sense of shelter, it embraces simple, unadorned materials to create a timeless sense of enclosure.

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Brick Award 26 : Shortlist in full

Feeling at home

Blockmakers Arms, London, UK, by Erbar Mattes

Ca na Birgit, Calvià, Spain, by TEd’A arquitectes

House 1616, Barcelona, Spain, by Harquitectes

Kurth Residence, Liege, Belgium, by Olivier Fourneau Architects

Los Guayabos, Cuernavaca, Mexico, by Rodriguez + De Mitri

Manel and Montse House, Sant Esteve de Palautordera, Spain, by Obo Estudi Arquitectura

Mountain House, Cape Town, South Africa, by Chris van Niekerk

Valley House, Torres Vedras, Portugal, by Volume – Architecture Lisbon Studio

Verandah House, Nhavi Sandas, India, by studioPPBA

Villa BW, Vught, Netherlands, by Mecanoo

White Bricks House, Brasilia, Brazil, by Bloco Arquitetos

Living together

11 social housing units, Palma , Spain, by Carles Enrich Studio

64 University Place, New York, USA, by Kohn Pedersen Fox

Social and urban infill project, Kortrijk, Belgium, by MAKER architecten

Fixfabriken Spanjoletten, Gothenburg, Sweden, by Olsson Lyckefors Arkitekter

Luise 19E, Werder, Germany, by undjurekbrüggen

O 14, Madrid, Spain, by BURR STUDIO

Park Hill Phase 2, Sheffield, UK, by Mikhail Riches

Social Atrium – 54 dwellings in the Besòs, Barcelona, Spain, by Peris + Toral Arquitectes & L3J

Working together

Leipzig Cogeneration Plant, Leipzig, Germany, by Atelier ST

Firemen tower in Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain, by Carles Enrich Studio

Håndværkskollegiet i Horsens, Horsens, Denmark, by Cubo Arkitekter & Danø Architecture

Lindemans Brewery, Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Belgium, by A2D architects

Metallic Bellows Factory Office, Chennai, India, by KSM Architecture

Mezcal Production Palenque, Jiquilpan de Juárez, Mexico, by Estudio ALA

Recast | Lao Ding Feng Beijing, China, by Neri&Hu Design and Research Office

Sara Weill-Raynal nursing home, Paris, France, by Avenier Cornejo Architectes

Substation Ijburg, Amsterdam, Netherlands, by Powerhouse Company

Warehouse/offices for Clase Azul La Hacienda Jalisco, Tepatitlán, Mexico, by Atelier ARS

Sharing public spaces

Academia Atlas, Zapopan, Mexico, by Sordo Madaleno

Aga Khan Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh, by Shatotto & Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios

Đạo Mẫu (Mothergoddess) Museum & Temple, Hanoi, Vietnam, by arb architects

District school Kirchwerder, Hamburg, Germany, by Thomas Kröger Architekten

Het Steen Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium, by noAarchitecten

La Chênaie Public School, Saint Etienne de Montluc, France, by RAUM

Melbourne Holocaust Museum, Melbourne, Australia, by Kerstin Thompson Architects

Mercado Nicolas Bravo, Quintana Roo, Mexico, by Aidia Studio

Park Brialmont Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium, by CLUSTER landscape & urbanism

Performing Arts Centre Brighton College, Brighton, UK, by krft

Primary School Edison Antwerp, Netherlands, by Korteknie Stuhlmacher Architecten

Schoenenkwartier Shoe Museum, Waalwijk, Netherlands, by Civic Architects

Temporary space for Slovenian National Theatre, Ljubljana, Slovenia, by Vidic Grohar Arhitekti

UCCA Clay Museum, Yixing, China, by Kengo Kuma and Associates

Building outside the box

Ceramic House, Amsterdam, Netherlands, by Studio RAP

Endless Brick Playground, Hangzhou, China, by China Academy of Art

La Cruz 13-40, Cuenca, Spain, by Taller Alexis Schulman & Surreal Estudio

Mary‘s Mantle Chapel, Freising, Germany, by Brückner & Brückner Architekten

Shafagh Tomb, Ardakan, Iran, by 35-51 Architecture Office

The Lady, Amsterdam, Netherlands, by Dok architecten

Tianjin Zhongshuge, Tianjin, China, by X+Living Architecture and Interior Design

About the BRICK AWARD 2026
The BRICK AWARD is an international architecture prize that celebrates outstanding brick architecture from around the world. Hosted by wienerberger, the award recognises innovation, craftsmanship, and sustainable design, while remaining independent; use of wienerberger products is not a requirement for participation.

Established in 2004, the biennial prize has become a prestigious platform for visionary architects, showcasing the creative and ecological potential of brick in contemporary architecture. Winners from around the world are celebrated during an award ceremony, and their work is featured in the official BRICK book, alongside nominated projects.

About wienerberger
wienerberger is a leading international provider of innovative, ecological solutions for the entire building envelope, in the fields of new build and renovation, as well as infrastructure in water and energy management. With more than 20,000 employees worldwide, wienerberger’s solutions enable energy-efficient, healthy, climate-friendly, and affordable living.

wienerberger is the world’s largest producer of bricks and the market leader in clay roof tiles in Europe, as well as concrete pavers in Eastern Europe. In pipe systems (ceramic and plastic pipes), the company is one of the leading suppliers in Europe and a leading supplier of facade products in North America.

At the beginning of 2024, wienerberger successfully completed the acquisition of Terreal, becoming the leading European provider of innovative all-in roofing and solar solutions, as well as solutions for the entire building envelope in Europe and North America. With its more than 200 production sites, wienerberger generated revenues of approx. €4.5 billion and an operating EBITDA of €760 million in 2024.

Photography: Oana Franca, Fangfang Tian, Cesar Bejar, SFAP, Maxime Delvaux, Atelier ST – Duc Viet Nguyen, L Showell, Riccardo De Vecchi, KPF, Asif Salman, Mark Hadden, 35-51 Architecture office,

Brick Award 26 Architecture Shortlist images/information received 181025 from v2com newswire