Soho Place wins RIBA London Award 21.05.25

Our design of the @sohoplace auditorium is embedded at the heart of the building and is the first new build West End theatre for 50 years. Responding to impresario Nica Burns’ vision for a truly adaptable, intimate 600 seat West End auditorium, Haworth Tompkins, Charcoalblue, Arup and TAIT designed an intense, sumptuous room with multiple possibilities for artists and audiences to explore.

The judges commented that 'one of the project’s highlights is the studio theatre auditorium space designed by Haworth Tompkins and managed by Nica Burns. This intimate space is protected from the cacophony of exhaust air from a Crossrail energy plant and yet the noise reduction measures mean that it is quieter than many of the capital’s grander theatres.

The exquisitely proportioned volume provides accessibility for small productions that would otherwise struggle to secure central London venues. Lobbies and circulation spaces wrap the auditorium box and break with theatre tradition through glass facades that intersect with chrome-clad columns to emit and reflect the theatre of movement into the surrounding streets.

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Brilliant news that the redevelopment of the Warburg Institute has been shortlisted for a RIBA London (West) Award.

The Warburg Renaissance Project transformed the Warburg Institute into a more open, accessible and public-facing institution, revealing hidden collections to new audiences and the public for the first time in its history, expanding capacity for 20 years of future growth and securing its cultural legacy through sensitive restoration, sustainable design and improved facilities for research, teaching and public engagement.

Pembroke Mill Lane, Cambridge has been shortlisted for a RIBA East Award.

Haworth Tompkins has three projects shortlisted at this year’s Pineapple Awards: The Developer and Festival of Place, which celebrate excellence in placemaking. The shortlists demonstrate the strength of our approach to placemaking and collaborative design.

Unanimous planning permission has been granted for Troubadour Greenwich Peninsula, a new 3,000-capacity performance venue designed by Haworth Tompkins.

Haworth Tompkins Associate Director Ken Okonkwo has been reappointed as a Mayor’s Design Advocate (MDA) for the 2025–2028 term, marking his second appointment to the role.

2025 was a demanding year for the built environment, but also one of real momentum for Haworth Tompkins. Against a challenging economic and political backdrop, the practice continued to adapt, collaborate and deliver work of lasting value.

The £2 billion York Central regeneration project has submitted the latest planning application for the next stage of delivery and includes Haworth Tompkins designs for Foundry Village; a walkable, street-based neighbourhood designed that will deliver 368 mixed-tenure homes.

Theatr Clwyd has been shortlisted for Theatre Building of the Year at this year’s Stage Awards.