New West Midlands transport hub announced as one of region's best buildings in awards

A new civic transport hub in Birmingham serving the university is amongst the winners in a prestigious awards ceremony.

The 2026 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) West Midlands awards list University Station by Associated Architects and Mott MacDonald as one of the five winners of the region’s best buildings.

The station serves students and passengers to and from the University of Birmingham.

This year is the 60th anniversary of the RIBA awards, which recognise the best architecture across the UK, which captures the shifting expectations of what architecture can contribute to society. Kepax Footbridge, over the River Severn in Worcester was named the overall winning project.

RIBA West Midlands Jury Chair, Svetlana Solomonova said: “The winners paint a picture of a region where architecture is both ambitious and grounded.

“Designers are engaging with the local context—urban, rural, and infrastructural—with sensitivity, imagination, and technical rigour.

“Together, they demonstrate that new architecture in the West Midlands is not just about buildings in isolation, but about enhancing communities, respecting heritage, promoting sustainability, and creating places that people value and enjoy.

“It is a region embracing a confident, inventive, and socially aware architectural culture that enriches both the built environment and the lives of those who inhabit it.

“Each building reveals a careful consideration of its site, context, and purpose. “

RIBA West Midlands Award winners will now be considered for a highly coveted RIBA National Award in recognition of their architectural excellence, which will be announced in July.