First published 30 Oct 2026, 5:00am
From Sydney’s new Fish Market to a hinterland Outhouse, NSW has secured a number of accolades in the country’s most prestigious architecture awards.
There were 34 winning projects across Australia celebrated for design, sustainability and community impact announced at the Australian Institute of Architects’ 2026 National Archictecture Awards on Thursday, October 29.
The awarded projects included new homes, examples of First Nations collaboration, sustainable design and contemporary residential and public architecture from Australia’s leading architects.
NSW secured 12 winners and commendations spanning residential homes, commercial buildings to public spaces spotlighting how the country’s best designers are addressing housing affordability, climate and cost of living pressures along with resourceful approaches to place and community.
Australian Institute of Architects 2026 National Architecture Awards Jury Chair Adam Haddow said there was a sense of optimism and common themes among the winners.
“There was an energy of hope in the projects we saw this year, a sense of communities coming together to challenge assumptions,” he said.
Mr Haddow said the projects judged were already great design, that had already won an award in their state.
“So when we take it to a national level, we’re really looking at how are these projects exemplar and what do they do that extends beyond what you would normally accept for a project, where are they better than or how are they innovated in the in their response to the brief,” he said.
“One of the overwhelming observations I made about the NSW winners this year was the commitment to public architecture.
“We visit every project, they’re not judged on photographs and so as a consequence of that, you really get to be in the space and see how it works.”
New Sydney Fish Market | 3XN in association with BVN and ASPECT Studios (NSW)
New Sydney Fish Market. Picture: Rasmus Hjortshøj
Green Square Public School and Community Spaces | BVN (NSW)
Green Square Public School and Community Spaces. Picture: Martin Siegner
Green Square Public School and Community Spaces. Picture: Martin Siegner
Entertainment Hall White Bay | DunnHillam Architecture Urban Design with Placemaking
Entertainment Hall White Bay. Picture: Katherine Lu
The Lands by Capella | Hassell in collaboration with Purcell Architecture (NSW)
Department of Lands Building Picture: Hassell Timothy Kaye
Inside Building Hassell. Picture: Timothy Kaye
Central Station | Woods Bagot in collaboration with John McAslan + Partners (NSW)
Central Electric Building. Picture: Trevor Mein
Pier Pavilion | Besley & Spresser (NSW)
Pier Pavilion. Picture: Rory Gardiner
EA House. Picture: Clinton Weaver Photography
Lacebark | Smart Design Studio (NSW)
Magenta Outhouse | Atelier Marks Gaal (NSW)
Magenta Outhouse. Picture: Alex Brunton photography
Sydney Harbour Bridge Northern Access Cycleway | Collins and Turner with Aspect Studios, Eckersley O’Callaghan and Design 5 – Architects (NSW)
Sydney Harbour Bridge cycleway ramp.
Mr Haddow said most of the winners were doing “really great things with public money”.
“The public school down at Green Square is a really great example of our local and state government coming together to deliver a really significant project for that place,” he said.
“The thing that picks up in that project, which is then pulled across a lot of different projects, is an acknowledgment of First Nations people and culture.
“The piece by Blak Douglas, as a public art piece in that building, sets a really strong position about the way in which that school wants to be read and understood.
“Sydney Harbour, bicycle path is another really great example of public infrastructure, which is doing good for people built for the next 100 years, it’s about accessibility of more sustainable transport options.
“The White Bay Power Station, its so important to making that building useful so that it doesn’t just get abandoned and not used.”
Mr Haddow said this year’s winning buildings were optimistic, with bright outlooks onto the future while also highlighting the heavy impact of cost of living crisis in Australia.
“These economic pressures and a rethinking of scale have given rise to more modest, sustainable, efficient and flexible homes that are scaled appropriately to occupants, not sprawling properties,” he said.
“These winners prove you can have a smaller house and live very well.”
Mr Haddow pointed to a commendation for a small housing project in the Inner West.
“The importance of that project is a commitment to providing housing for people who wouldn’t normally get good quality housing or we’re finding it difficult to find housing,” he said.
“The other thing that we noticed was all of the projects are electric projects.
“This strong shift into a much more sustainable future for the buildings that are being delivered.”
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