Twenty-four innovative architectural proposals have been selected as finalists for the 2026 AA Prize for Unbuilt Work, narrowed down from 66 original submissions by a distinguished jury panel. The prestigious award recognizes conceptually rigorous and inventive responses to contemporary architectural challenges, promoting meaningful debate and generating fresh ideas about architecture by celebrating compelling work still in its conceptual stages.
The diverse shortlist includes projects ranging from educational facilities to community resilience initiatives. Notable finalists include "A New School of Architecture" by HSP, "Acting in the Meantime" by Eliza Ng, and "Are You Being Served?" by Eliza Innes. Other standout proposals feature "Asyndeton: Unseen Fantasies of Reality" by Pei Kai Tan and "Beneath the Shadows of Palm: Blueprints for Rural Palm Oil Territories" by Danielle Lee.
Several community-focused projects made the shortlist, including "Building Community Resilience in a Disrupted World" by IDA Alliance, "Built Back Better: Urban Resilience for the Township of Lismore" by Carmelo Nastasi, and "Flinders Island Community Vet" by Bence Mulcahy. Creative conceptual works such as "Friends of the Void" by Jamie Bond, "Gutless Wonder" by Yasmin Fennessy, and "Kidscapes" by Kali Marnane and Tess Martin in collaboration also earned recognition.
Urban planning and design proposals feature prominently among the finalists, with entries like "NSW Pattern Book" by In Common Studio, "P2 Contemporary" by Cicely Brown, Finn Holle and Sophie Shaw, and "Patterns of Footscray" by Card Play, Her Way from Sophia Di Giandomenico. Infrastructure-focused submissions include "ReVault 2.0" by Supermanoeuvre, "Richmond Sportslink" by Bates Smart, and "Roads that Separate, Walls that Connect: Civic Propositions for Parramatta Road" by Keita Sugimoto and Thomas Papetti.
The final group of shortlisted projects encompasses a range of innovative concepts, including "Spectral Dialogues" by Katie Taylor, "The Art of Darkness" by Scar, "The Greater Sydney Building Society" by Billy McQueenie, and "Walyalup/Fremantle" by What If. A particularly notable collaboration, "Whadjuk Balardong Elder Robyn Collard with Simon Pendal Architect," represents indigenous architectural perspectives in the competition.
The 2026 jury panel brings together expertise from across Australia's architectural landscape. The distinguished group includes Ingrid Bakker from Hassell, Kirsteen Mackay from the Office for Design and Architecture SA, Deo Prasad from the University of New South Wales, and Stuart Vokes from Vokes and Peters. Georgia Birks, associate editor of Architecture Australia magazine, serves as jury chair, guiding the selection process.
The winner of the 2026 AA Prize for Unbuilt Work will be announced on February 2, 2026, with the announcement appearing both on ArchitectureAu and in Architecture Australia magazine. The competition is organized by Architecture Media and receives support from presenting partner Adelaide University, highlighting the academic and professional collaboration that drives architectural innovation in Australia.
