Announcements June 11, 2026

We’re Triple Winners of the 2026 RIBA International Awards for Excellence

No other practice earned as many recognitions from the Royal Institute of British Architects in their 2026 awards program.

Three projects designed by our combined Perkins&Will and Schmidt Hammer Lassen Shanghai studio—Beijing Performing Arts Centre, Shanghai Library East, and Shenzhen Energy Ring—have been honored with RIBA International Awards for Excellence. This outsized recognition of design excellence from the Royal Institute of British Architects celebrates the innovative ways our design teams addressed climate change, resource scarcity, social equity, and rapid urbanization through their work.

“We’re humbled to receive such a distinguished award not once, but three times, for our work across China,” says our Firmwide Design Director, Chris Hardie. Chris is also the Studio Design Director in Shanghai, responsible for the designs of the trio of winning projects. “I’m very proud of our studio and our project teams, and grateful for the visionary leadership of our clients. Without their support, we wouldn’t have been able to take risks, push boundaries, and innovate in the ways that made these projects so successful.”

Here’s a look at each:

Three unique architectural structures with wavy roofs, surrounded by trees and reflecting in a river under a clear sky.

Interior view of a concert hall featuring tiered seating, wooden panels, and suspended lighting fixtures, with a small figure on stage.

Beijing Performing Arts Centre — RIBA International Award for Excellence 2026
Beijing, China

Located in Tongzhou, a historic port city along the Grand Canal and Beijing’s eastern gateway, Beijing Performing Arts Centre draws inspiration from the site’s rich cultural and commercial heritage. Its sculptural form references the rooflines of traditional canal storehouses and the sails of passing boats, while also evoking a theater curtain opening to reveal a performance. The result is a landmark that honors the past while expressing the district’s aspirations for the future.

Home to a world-class opera house, theater, and concert hall, the center serves as a major destination for arts and culture in the region. Designed to welcome diverse audiences and programming, it hosts hundreds of performances annually—from traditional Chinese opera and orchestral concerts to contemporary theater and dance—creating a vibrant gathering place for creativity, exchange, and community.

It’s gratifying to see the flow of people and the sharing of ideas and experiences in and around the Beijing Performing Arts Centre, all reflected in the historic waterway. This project is truly a testament to the city’s vision and commitment to arts and culture.

James Lu, Regional Director

Shanghai Library East — RIBA International Award for Excellence 2026
Shanghai, China

Rising above a lush urban park, Shanghai Library East takes inspiration from Taihu stones, the sculptural rocks celebrated for centuries in Chinese scholarly tradition. Like these natural formations, the building reveals itself through layers of texture, voids, and shifting perspectives, inviting visitors to discover new experiences from every angle. Its distinctive form establishes a strong civic presence while creating a seamless connection to the surrounding landscape.

At its heart, a soaring central atrium welcomes visitors into an environment defined by warmth, openness, and exploration. Interlocking floors visually connect the library’s seven levels, encouraging movement and discovery throughout the building. With more than 80 percent of its space dedicated to public and community-focused activities, the library reimagines the role of a contemporary knowledge institution—serving not only as a repository of information, but as a dynamic hub for culture, collaboration, and learning.

Interior view of a multi-level building with wooden accents, central staircase, and visitors walking through the space. Bright and spacious atmosphere.

Glass building surrounded by lush greenery, with urban skyline in the background. Architectural design features sharp angles and reflections.

The smart and hybrid Shanghai Library East is a new generation library. It’s not only a place for storing and lending books, or a reading room, but also an open space for culture and art. Exhibitions, lectures, music, art, experiencing technologies, and even entering the library itself are seen as a kind of 'reading.'

Chen Chao, Director of Shanghai Library

A large, circular sports arena with a distinctive orange lattice exterior, surrounded by greenery and trees against a clear sky.

Interior view of an industrial facility showing machinery labeled with numbers. A person walks past large glass windows. Structural elements visible.

Shenzhen Energy Ring — RIBA International Award for Excellence 2026
Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

Shenzhen Energy Ring challenges conventional notions of industrial architecture by transforming critical infrastructure into a civic landmark. One of the first industrial facilities in China to achieve LEED Gold certification, the project processes 5,000 tons of municipal waste each day and generates approximately 1.2 billion kWh of electricity annually, helping meet the energy needs of one of the world’s fastest-growing cities.

Equally important is its commitment to public engagement and environmental education. Visitors are invited to explore the facility through immersive exhibitions and a transparent tour experience that reveals the journey of waste-to-energy conversion. A 150-meter glass-enclosed walkway guides guests through key stages of the process, fostering greater awareness of resource recovery, sustainability, and the role infrastructure plays in building a more resilient future.

The Shenzhen Energy Ring takes a bold stance on sustainable design, both in China and on a worldwide scale. Not only does the plant process domestic waste into clean electricity, it's also a high-quality benchmark for inspiration and education. By establishing and embracing cutting-edge principles of waste classification and treatment, it raises the overall environmental awareness to society.

Jiao Xianfeng, General Manager, Shenzhen Energy Environment Co., Ltd.

We’re Triple Winners of the 2026 RIBA International Awards for Excellence

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