The University Children's Hospital Zurich designed by acclaimed Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron has been crowned the architecture project of the year at the Dezeen Awards 2025. The prestigious award was announced at the eighth annual ceremony held in London, where 17 architecture category winners from 15 different countries were recognized for their outstanding design achievements.
The winning hospital project, sponsored by Programa, also claimed the leisure and wellness project of the year award. The architecture master jury praised the project as "exemplary," stating that "this is a project that should be celebrated, and celebrated widely." They emphasized that "it is an exemplary building, in a sector where exemplary buildings are rare but needed more than almost any other. This is what quality architecture should strive for."
The 96,200-square-meter University Children's Hospital complex is modeled on a town concept and specifically designed to enhance patient wellbeing. The facility comprises a wood-clad acute-care building and a research center connected by green spaces, creating a harmonious healthcare environment. The judges noted that "you rarely see a great hospital and this is one. It is designed and executed extremely well and at an impressive scale," adding that "this should be the standard we aim for in health buildings."
The winning project competed against impressive entries from around the globe, including a mass-timber office building in Finland, a performing arts center constructed with earth bricks in Uganda, and a restored fish and seafood hall in Sweden. Other notable category winners included a school featuring bright green steel walkways and a house renovation utilizing corrugated metal for an industrial aesthetic.
Among the other significant winners, Studio Bright from Australia took home the urban house of the year award for their Hedge and Arbour House in Melbourne, which features innovative metal screens that serve as climbing frames for seasonal vegetation. Mexico City-based Fernanda Canales won rural house of the year for House 720 Degrees, a circular home offering 360-degree views of the surrounding La Reserva Peñitas landscape.
The housing project of the year went to La Comunidad Habitacional by Barcelona-based Cierto Estudio, a social housing complex that challenges traditional gender roles through innovative apartment layouts with equal-sized rooms without pre-assigned functions. The judges called it "an impressive and innovative plan" that "is clearly better than the majority of social housing."
Cultural and civic projects were also recognized, with Serie Architects winning civic project of the year for their Shrimand Rajchandra Ashram Satsang Hall, a Jain temple featuring curved concrete walls coated in white marble. Hassell claimed the cultural project of the year for their Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre in Uganda, an amphitheater-like structure made from earth bricks serving a refugee settlement.
Workplace design excellence was acknowledged through two categories. Anttinen Oiva Architects won large workplace project of the year for Katajanokan Laituri, a mass-timber building overlooking Helsinki's South Harbour that houses Stora Enso's headquarters along with hospitality facilities. The small workplace category went to Wataru Architects for their renovation of the Kitaoka Group Head Office Building in Japan, featuring a fifty-meter-long skylight and a seven-meter-high Benjamin tree.
The awards also celebrated innovative approaches to heritage preservation, infrastructure, and mixed-use development. White Arkitekter's restoration of the historic Feskekôrka seafood market in Gothenburg won heritage project of the year, while ZGF Architects took infrastructure honors for their Portland International Airport main terminal expansion. JKMM Architects' Tammela Hybrid Stadium in Finland, which combines a football field with housing and retail spaces, claimed the mixed-use project award.
The Dezeen Awards 2025 program, held in partnership with Bentley, continues to serve as the ultimate recognition for architects and designers worldwide. This year's diverse winners from countries including Denmark, Uganda, Australia, Mexico, and Japan demonstrate the global reach and innovation in contemporary architecture, showcasing projects that prioritize sustainability, community impact, and design excellence.
