Heritage category - Future Cities Forum's Winter Awards 2026

Image: Elizabeth Tower, courtesy of Purcell / copyright House of Commons

Future Cities Forum's nominated projects in its Winter Awards 2026 heritage category includes the restoration of the Elizabeth Tower, more commonly known as 'Big Ben' at the Palace of Westminster, St Bartholomew's Hospital North Wing and the masterplan of Lambeth Palace. The assessment and voting on the projects will take place in January, by an all-female panel of judges..

Elizabeth Tower, Palace of Westminster

The Elizabeth Tower was a ground-breaking piece of architecture, and the last work of Augustus Welby Pugin, who died at the age of 40, leaving a prolific legacy of work surviving into the 21st century.

Purcell - who worked on the project - says:

'As a conservation practice, we very much believe that great architecture should be built to last and repaired with respect to the original design vision. Conservation, sustainability and design excellence go hand in hand. Building with long lasting, natural materials and carefully repairing our buildings is inherently sustainable, and where materials with high embodied carbon are used, such as cast iron, this impact needs to be justified by longevity.

Image: restoration in progress at the Elizabeth Tower - copyright House of Commons

'Our adaptations and new design elements are designed to enhance the experience of visiting the tower with respect to opportunities possible within the original design.

'The biggest visual change is the reintroduction of Pugin’s original Prussian Blue and gold colour scheme to the clock dials. In the Belfry, a new glass enclosure at the top of the original stone spiral stair allowed us to reinstate the original view of Big Ben for visitors whilst dealing with water ingress, and providing lift access to the Belfry.

'The Great Clock, stonework and decorative details were meticulously repaired, original finishes – including the vivid Prussian blue and gold colour scheme on the clockface – were reinstated, and damaging past alterations were undone. A new glass stair enclosure with an integrated lift improved access while protecting the historic fabric, while modernised mechanical, electrical and fire safety systems brought the tower into the 21st century with energy-efficient technology'.

Image: the Great Hall at Bart's North Wing - courtesy Barts Heritage

Barts North Wing

St Bartholomew’s Hospital is the oldest hospital in the UK still operating on its original site. Founded in 1123, the hospital was re-founded by Henry VIII in 1547, surviving the reformation.

By the 1700s, the hospital’s buildings were outdated, worn, and too small to cope with the needs of London’s rising population. The leading architect James Gibbs was recruited to remodel the hospital. The North Wing was the first block to be completed, in 1734.

After 50 years without significant repair, the North Wing was in poor condition. A new charity, Barts Heritage, was established in 2017 to raise funds to carry out the restoration of the building. The Sharing Historic Barts project began in 2024 and completed in August 2025.

Barts Heritage states:

'The entrance to Barts North Wing opens into the grand, highly decorated staircase hall known as the Hogarth Stair named after the artist whose paintings dominate the space. The walls of the Hogarth Stair feature two huge canvases by William Hogarth – best known at the time for his popular engravings, but also an accomplished painter.

Image: Mural depicting 'The Good Samaritan' by William Hogarth, now fully restored by Barts Heritage, it forms a major part of the Hogarth Stair leading to the Great Hall - courtesy Barts Heritage

'The Good Samaritan and The Pool of Bethesda were Hogarth’s first large-scale history paintings – depicting stories from the bible at huge scale, with figures up to seven feet high. Hogarth decorated the stair free of charge, allowing him to indulge his ambition, and giving the hospital a grand entrance to the Great Hall at no cost.

'Extensive work was carried out throughout the Great Hall. The ornate plasterwork of the ceiling has been repaired and redecorated, with work carried out from a deck supported on a ‘birdcage’ scaffold suspended above the floor via struts through the windows connected to the external scaffolding. While the deck was in place our engagement team ran a programme of public scaffolding tours allowing visitors to watch the conservators at work.

'The sash windows and the oak flooring were removed for repair and renovation, and miles of new cabling and pipework was installed under the floor before it was replaced and refinished. The Charter Window depicting the re-founding of the hospital being granted by Henry VIII was removed, restored, conserved by the expert team at Holy Well Glass and re-installed in April 2025. The panelling and the doors were gently re-coloured and polished, and wall surfaces were repaired and redecorated.'

Image: solar photovoltaics on the roof of Lambeth Palace looking towards the Palace of Westminster (courtesy Hufton + Crow)

Lambeth Palace Masterplan

Home to the Archbishops of Canterbury for 800 years, the Grade I listed buildings of Lambeth Palace have played an unparalleled role in the UK’s history of religious life and scholarship. Wright & Wright’s extensive three year long programme of refurbishment - the first of its kind in over 70 years – has enhanced the safety, accessibility, and sustainability of the site, while carefully preserving the Palace’s heritage.

Wright & Wright says:

'Led by Partner Stephen Smith and Conservation Architect Leanna Boxill, Wright & Wright's masterplan for Lambeth Palace embraces the Church of England's commitment to reach net-zero by 2030. Following the relocation of the Palace’s world-renowned collection of religious texts to Lambeth Palace Library completed by Wright & Wright Architects in 2021, new opportunities emerged to reimagine the estate for future generations, with a focus on improving the site's accessibility and sustainability.

'As the first line of defence in improving building performance and reducing energy demand, the masterplan adopts a ‘fabric-first’ approach. Working closely with Arup, the masterplan prioritises upgrading the historic building fabric, reducing the energy required to heat and cool internal spaces and achieving lower running costs in the long term. One major focus of this approach was the replacement of the Blore Building’s windows, delivering a 41% reduction in heating energy use.'

Image: restored ceiling and interior at Lambeth Palace - photography courtesy of Hufton + Crow for Wright & Wright Architects