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 prize.

The 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 stations.

The 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 weekday.

New 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 II.

It was designed by a group of architects, engineers and designers including Grimshaw, Maynard, Equation and AtkinsRéalis.

Neill 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 Londoners.

Previous Stirling Prize winners include Goldsmith Street council housing in Norwich and The New Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge.

• 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)