A new college campus designed by a University of Bath Professor and the city’s architect-in-residence has been nominated for the 2025 Stirling Prize.

The new London College of Fashion campus at East Bank, Stratford, is on the list of nominees for the title of the UK’s best new building in the country’s top architectural award.

The building, designed by Allies and Morrison for University of the Arts London, is one of six finalists for the UK’s most prestigious architecture award. It has already won both the RIBA London and National Awards earlier this year.

Professor Bob Allies joined the University of Bath in 2024 as part of an innovative partnership with Bath and North East Somerset Council. His role combines research, teaching, and civic engagement, with a focus on promoting design excellence across our UNESCO World Heritage City.

The nominated building consolidates six previously dispersed sites into a single, 13-storey vertical campus – one of the largest centres for fashion education in the world. Inspired by 19th-century mill buildings, the design features factory-style steel-framed windows, internal atria, and rooftop gardens. It is naturally ventilated and flooded with daylight, offering a sustainable and inspiring environment for thousands of students and staff.

RIBA judges praised the building’s ‘sophisticated cross section’ and ‘rational plan’, which clearly zones the accommodation into a publicly accessible base, a middle teaching zone, and a communal area at the top.

The Stirling Prize winner will be announced on 16 October at the Roundhouse in London.