The prestigious 2025 Stirling Prize has been awarded to Witherford Watson Mann Architects for their "hopeful and imaginative" Appleby Blue Almshouse social housing complex in London. The project, which comprises 57 apartments specifically designed for residents over 65, was built on the site of an abandoned care home in Southwark, addressing critical housing shortages and growing loneliness among elderly populations.

"Built against the backdrop of two crises, an acute housing shortage and a growing loneliness epidemic among older people, Appleby Blue offers a hopeful and imaginative response," said Ingrid Schroder, this year's Stirling Prize jury chair. The award has sparked debate about geographical concentration, as four of the six shortlisted buildings are located in London, prompting Dezeen editor Tom Ravenscroft to question whether "the Stirling Prize is too London-centric."

The week also featured significant discourse on architectural recognition and political design. Mohamed Ismail contributed an opinion piece arguing that "recognition is long overdue for the local architects of tropical modernism," highlighting how the prevailing narrative of tropical modernism in the Global South has historically overlooked contributions from local architects and engineers. Writer Catharine Rossi examined how the proliferation of St George's flags across England raises important questions about design's capacity to influence political forces in today's world.

In corporate design news, Pentagram refreshed tech company Karri's screen-free smartphone designed specifically for children ages five to 13. The walkie-talkie-inspired redesign aims to make communication "as intuitive as possible" while maintaining the device's screen-free approach. Similarly, American snack brand Lay's received a logo update from PepsiCo's in-house design team, which added sunbeams to the classic red and yellow branding to celebrate the nearly 100-year-old brand's agricultural heritage.

International collaborations made headlines as design studio OLA Shanghai partnered with Lego and Nike to create a colorful modular playground at Baoshan No 2 Central Primary School in north Shanghai. The vibrant installation transformed a previously gray courtyard space and represents the latest collaboration between the toy and sports brands, demonstrating how major corporations are investing in educational infrastructure.

South Africa's design scene gained attention as Design Week South Africa launched in Johannesburg, featuring The Price of Gold exhibition where emerging designers used locally found and discarded materials to rewrite narratives about the city. Local brand Daily opened its first showroom during the event, showcasing furniture made from plain plywood sheets treated with specially developed stains and sealants to create affordable yet aspirational pieces.

The London art scene was equally active as Frieze Art Fair kicked off in Regent's Park. Architecture collective Assemble created Fibredog, a public artwork that doubles as a shelter and resembles a mythical creature. The installation, which married thatch and fiber materials while drawing on folkloric rituals, was featured as part of the Frieze Sculpture exhibition, demonstrating how contemporary artists continue to blend traditional craftsmanship with modern design concepts.

Other notable projects from the week included a diabetes health center in Copenhagen by Dorte Mandrup, described as "homely and inviting," a shingle-clad home in Canada, and a shell-shaped pavilion in Japan. Design publications also highlighted monolithic plaster-covered houses and transformed Soviet-era buildings, showing the continued global interest in both minimalist architecture and adaptive reuse projects that give new life to historical structures.