Lido's £11m revamp wins top architecture award

A 14-year project to restore a coastal lido to its former glory has scooped a prestigious architecture prize.

The £11m revamp of Saltdean Lido in Brighton was one of six winners in the South East division of the 2026 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Awards on Tuesday.

Restoration of the Grade II* listed Art Deco building on the East Sussex coast, built in the 1930s, was completed in 2024 and was paid for with community donations and National Lottery funding.

RIBA South East jury chair Craig Sheach called the winning group "exceptional".

Now in its 60th year, the RIBA Awards recognises the best of the UK's architecture, with the finalists selected by an expert jury.

Other winners included St Raphael's health and wellbeing centre at Mayfield School in East Sussex, which came first in the Building of the Year category, and Casa Bassa, a garage-turned family home in Guildford, Surrey, which bagged Small Project of the Year.

High House, a sustainable hilltop home nestled in the South Downs National Park, also won, along with a contemporary rural dwelling in West Sussex called Clay Rise and The Richard Cairns Building at Brighton College.

"While differing in scale, programme and location, each of our exceptional group of winners shares a common purpose," said Sheach.

"Together, they demonstrate what is possible when the power of community and collaboration are brought to bear on a site.

"All the award winning schemes have successfully leveraged collective effort to create something special, showing innovation, curiosity and real craft in the pursuit of a unique expression.

RIBA president Chris Williamson said: "Over six decades, these awards have charted a cultural journey across the UK, reflecting how architecture has responded to changing needs in education, industry, work and home life.

"Today, as in 1966, we celebrate architecture that sets new standards for how we live and shape our communities, and which reminds us just how important it is to keep raising the bar."

The South East winners will now be considered for a highly coveted RIBA National Award, the results of which will be announced in July.

The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize for the best building of the year will then be drawn from those national winners later in the year.

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