RIBA Stirling Prize 2025: Appleby Blue Almshouse – winner’s acceptance speech

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has named Appleby Blue Almshouse, a social housing complex for over-65’s, by Witherford Watson Mann Architects, as the winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize 2025. Presented since 1996, the prestigious annual award recognises the UK’s best new architecture. Replacing an abandoned care home, Appleby Blue radically reimagines the traditional almshouse, flipping the centuries-old typology by placing shared spaces at its heart to foster community and reduce isolation among residents. The development contains 59 bright, spacious flats arranged in a U-shape around a central garden courtyard. Stephen Witherford, on behalf of Witherford Watson Mann Architects and United St. Saviour’s Charity, said: “Appleby Blue is a contemporary almshouse on a busy London high street, designed to address the social and economic challenges faced by many older people in our inner cities. Working closely and imaginatively with United St. Saviour’s Charity, we’ve created an environment that reduces loneliness, encourages connection, and supports a good later life. The charity has made social housing aspirational, enabling people to grow old locally with the right support, benefiting both residents and the wider Southwark community. We’re honoured that the RIBA Stirling Prize recognises the power of architecture to create places that genuinely transform lives.” Find out more about the winning project: https://www.riba.org/explore/awards/u...