The headline features of the exhibitions and public programme have been announced, with ‘Roaming Britain’ and the life and works of James Stirling at the top of the list
The RIBA exhibitions for this year mark 30 years of the RIBA Stirling Prize, as well as 60 years of the RIBA Awards programme.
The Stirling Prize was named after James Stirling, who is being celebrated in this year’s exhibition.
The life and works of James Stirling will open in October
Located at RIBA North, the exhibition will follow the story of how James Stirling became one of Britain’s most influential architects.
Other exhibitions include a re-run of the 2023 ‘Wide-Angle View’ exhibition in Porto, the ‘Royal Gold Medal’ exhibition showcasing the work of Níall McLaughlin, the recipient of the medal this year, and ‘Roaming Britain: Gypsy and Traveller Homes.’
Oliver Urquhart-Irvine, executive director, Architectural Programmes & Collections, said: “Following on the success of our 2024 and 2025 cultural programming, 2026 is a landmark year as we celebrate two major milestones: 60 years of our Awards programme and 30 years of the Stirling Prize. These anniversaries offer a moment to reflect on the enduring social, environmental, and cultural impact of architecture, while opening up new conversations about its future.
“While 66 Portland Place remains temporarily closed, we are proud to continue presenting a dynamic programme at RIBA North, and to extend our international reach with the first touring edition of Wide-Angle View opening in Porto. Through our 2026 programme, we continue our mission to make architecture accessible for all, exploring architectural excellence and its impact on people, communities and the planet.”
RIBA have committed to improving architecture in 2026
In a written update last month, RIBA noted that this year marks the 200th anniversary of the institute, and that this year they are dedicated to getting the profession as a whole out of its current ‘imapsse.’
They write that they will do this by:
1. Ensuring education delivers for all
- Collaborating with schools of architecture to promote a five-year qualification route to becoming an architect
- Addressing the challenges students face in securing practice placements
- Securing funding for Level 7 architecture apprentices up to 25 years old
- Reforming life long learning to allow individuals to curate their own careers
- Developing specialist registers and courses on areas of architectural expertise to upskill the profession and command higher fees and salaries
2. Better business practices
- Making fee information available to clients
- Improving public and private procurement
- Developing business skills through a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in architecture
- Ensuring a competitive Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) market
- Establishing the use of early evaluation in advance of potential disputes and mediation as standard
- Delivering policies and guidance on technology use, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Embedding equity, diversity and inclusion throughout the profession and wider sector
3. Reforming the regulatory system and improving standards
- Driving changes to architects’ regulation and oversight through our “repeal, reserve and regulate” campaign
- Lobbying to improve the planning system and the National Planning Policy Framework
4. Promoting the profile of the profession
- Undertaking a campaign demonstrating the value our members bring to clients
- Ensuring architects are involved in major housing developments and new towns
- Advocating the need for architects in local and regional government to ensure design quality
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