National awards recognise 27 projects across 11 categories as Aotearoa’s top architecture projects.

Aotearoa’s top architectural projects and talents have been recognised tonight, as the winners of the 2026 New Zealand Architecture Awards have been announced. From a 15,000m2 world-leading timber hangar large enough to house three airliners, to a humble and serene 17m2 chapel overlooking Lyttelton Harbour, this year’s winners feature a range of unique projects that showcase the versatility and ingenuity of Aotearoa’s architects.

“These awards celebrate the very best work by New Zealand architects. They promote the skill, relevance and expertise architects contribute to society through design and vision for the built environment,” says Andrea Bell, jury convenor and director of bell + co architecture.“From large scale to small interventions the jury saw projects that explored invention in favour of fashion, had clear commitments to client aspirations and to environmental and social sustainability, and make significant contributions to our cities and regional centres. Congratulations to all the shortlisted projects and winners on their well-deserved recognition.”

A winner in the Commercial Architecture and also receiving the 2026 Sir Miles Warren Award for Commercial Architecture, Air New Zealand – Hangar 4 by Studio Pacific Architecture was lauded by the jury as an outstanding example of sustainable industrial architecture that delivers a striking, comfortable and safe workplace while showing the potential of low-carbon materials at infrastructure scale.

Three other winning projects also received special recognition as Named Awards, the supreme winners in their categories:

• Ted McCoy Award for Education: Toi Manawa by Patterson Associates

• Sir Ian Athfield Award for Housing: Orchard House by Fearon Hay Architects

• John Scott Award for Public Architecture: The Court Theatre by Haworth Tompkins and Athfield Architects in association.

At the opposite end of the size scale, the Chapel of St Thérèse of Lisieux by Bull O'Sullivan Architecture was conceived as a gift to the people of Christchurch and built by the architectural team themselves, often using recycled or gifted materials from other projects to give the Chapel a material history grounded in exchange and reuse.

Winners were chosen from a shortlist of 68 projects that had been winners at the Regional Architecture Awards in eight regions across the motu earlier this year.

The New Zealand Architecture Awards were judged by a panel comprised of jury convenor Andrea Bell, Jane Rooney from Architectus, Daniel Smith of Edwards White Architects, and Jon Clements of Jackson Clements Burrows Architects in Melbourne, Australia.

The awards were presented on 5 November at an evening awards ceremony at Auckland Museum.

2026 New Zealand Architecture Award Winners

Commercial Architecture

• Air New Zealand – Hangar 4 by Studio Pacific Architecture

• Wynyard Quayside by Warren and Mahoney

Education

• Tāwhaki Nui-a-Hema / Motueka High School Maths and Horticulture Block by Arthouse Architects and Sheppard & Rout Architects

• Toi Manawa by Patterson Associates

Enduring Architecture

• Gibbs House - Eastbourne (1998) by Gerald Parsonson Architect

• The Point (2000) by Moller Architects

Heritage

• Ayrburn Precinct by SA Studio

• Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui by Athfield Architects and Tihei in association

• The Chief Post Office Refurbishment by Cheshire Architects and Salmond Reed in association

Hospitality

• Bunker Bar by Studio John Irving

• The Loft and Kitchen Refurbishment – Craggy Range by RTA Studio

Housing

• Chamberlain Tower by EADA Architects

• Jack's House by W3 and Cede in association

• Orchard House by Fearon Hay Architects

• Sand Boxes by Herbst Maxcey Metropolitan Architects

Housing – Alterations and Additions

• Gardener's Rest by Megan Edwards Architects

• Sergeant's Cottage by Guy Tarrant Architects

• Waka Huia by Pac Studio

Housing – Multi-unit

• Aro Living Townhouse Development by architecture +

• Our Whare Our Fale by First Light Studio and Central Pacific Collective in association

Interior Architecture

• Beca House – Te Paeroa o Te Kawau by Warren and Mahoney

Public Architecture

• Chapel of St Thérèse of Lisieux by Bull O'Sullivan Architecture

• Te Tumu – New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) by Warren and Mahoney, Moller Architects and Woods Bagot in association

• The Court Theatre by Haworth Tompkins and Athfield Architects in association

Small Project Architecture

• Kererū Corner by Shaw & Shaw Architects

• Living House by RTA Studio

• St Luke’s Hospitality Centre by Andrew Barrie Lab

Named Awards

• Sir Miles Warren Award for Commercial Architecture: Air New Zealand – Hangar 4 by Studio Pacific Architecture (Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland)

• Ted McCoy Award for Education: Toi Manawa by Patterson Associates (Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland)

• Sir Ian Athfield Award for Housing: Orchard House by Fearon Hay Architects (Tāhuna Queenstown)

• John Scott Award for Public Architecture: The Court Theatre by Haworth Tompkins and Athfield Architects in association (Ōtautahi Christchurch)