The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has named the Elizabeth line, London’s newest railway, as the winner of the 2024 RIBA Stirling Prize. The award was presented to the line wide design team - Grimshaw, Maynard, Equation and AtkinsRéalis - on 16 October 2024. The prestigious annual award, presented since 1996, recognises the UK’s best new architecture.
Opened in May 2022 and named in honour of Queen Elizabeth II, the Elizabeth line, which accommodates over 700,000 passengers every day, runs east to west across the city through 42km of new tunnels and includes 10 new central stations and the upgrading of 31 existing stations. The line-wide design encompasses the platforms, passenger tunnels, escalators and station concourses, including signage, bespoke furniture, fittings, finishes, and technology creating a family of elements.
Taking its cue from the engineering feat of the new line - the complexity and scale of the project - one of the defining features of the design is the passenger tunnels and platforms. At almost double the length and height of standard London Underground stations, these spaces are clad in glass fibre reinforced concrete (GRFC) which ‘shrink wraps’ the structure - sitting tightly against the sprayed concrete finish of the structural lining. This creates a fluid, vast environment with curved junctions in the passenger tunnels which increases sightlines, alleviates the below ground experience and improves passenger flow and safety.
The passenger experience is central to the whole line-wide design ethos. From the wayfinding to the lighting, technology and materials and movement and the common components of the design, everything was informed and refined through an inclusive design approach. An integrated and simplified maintenance programme was also critical, with infrastructure that requires minimal intervention and disruption on this London’s most significant contribution to city travel in 20 years.
Speaking on behalf of the RIBA Stirling Prize jury, Muyiwa Oki, RIBA President and Jury Chair, 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. This is architecture of the digital age – a vast scheme that utilises cutting-edge technology to create distinctive spatial characteristics and experiences. It rewrites the rules of accessible public transport, and sets a bold new standard for civic infrastructure, opening up the network and by extension, London, to everyone.”
Neill McClements, Partner, Grimshaw, on behalf of the line wide design team including Grimshaw, Atkins Realis, Equation and Maynard, 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. It is also a recognition of the challenges that our profession faces today – the responsibility we have to rapidly respond to the climate emergency, decarbonise our cities and prioritise social and economic equity. We know this is only achievable through collaboration and the Stirling Prize recognises all of the design and construction teams that have come together to make the project the success that it is.”
The network navigates through centuries of untouched history buried deep beneath London, while carefully avoiding both new and ancient underground footings and sewage systems. The excavation project became part of Britain’s largest-ever archaeological dig, uncovering a wealth of historical artefacts – from a Tudor bowling ball to 55-million-year-old woolly mammoth remains. Six million tonnes of earth were excavated to create room for the network’s tunnels, which was repurposed to create a nature reserve in Essex. By expanding capacity, reducing congestion, supporting capital-wide regeneration, and creating employment opportunities – the Elizabeth Line continues to contribute to the city’s long-term growth.
Working across the Elizabeth line the line-wide design team of Grimshaw, Maynard, AtkinsRéalis and Equation was part of a wider Crossrail architectural design team, interfacing with architects across the line’s10 new stations including John McAslan + Partners, Weston Williamson + Partners, Hawkins\Brown, AHR (formerly Aedas), WilkinsonEyre, BDP, Adamson Associates, Allies and Morrison and Fereday Pollard.
The 2024 RIBA Stirling Prize Jury was chaired by Muyiwa Oki, RIBA President, with: Alex Ely, Founder Director of Mæ, winner of the 2023 RIBA Stirling Prize; Mary Duggan, Director of Mary Duggan Architects; Yana Peel, Global Head of Arts & Culture at Chanel (Lay Assessor); Minna Sunikka-Blank, Professor of Architecture and Environmental Policy at Cambridge University (Sustainability Consultant) and David Light, EMEA ECS Consulting Director at Autodesk, sponsor of the 2024 RIBA Stirling Prize.
The winner was announced at a ceremony on 16 October at London’s Roundhouse.
17.10.2024