The sweeping revamp of Sydney's Central Station has taken out top honours at the Australian Institute of Architects' 2026 NSW architecture awards, held on Thursday 2 July. The station was one of several significant projects recognized, including the new Sydney Fish Market and the city's soon-to-be-opened second international airport at Badgerys Creek.
Central Station Wins NSW Architecture Medallion
The Woods Bagot collaboration with John McAslan + Partners won the NSW Architecture Medallion as well as the Sulman Medal for Public Architecture. Judges praised the project for its 'calm logic, abundant natural light, and a rich sense of material quality', noting that the renewal seamlessly weaves the metro into the broader rail network.
Sydney Fish Market Receives Premier's Prize
The Sydney Fish Market, designed by 3XN, BVN, and ASPECT Studios, won the Premier's Prize, the Sir Arthur G Stephenson Award for Commercial Architecture, and one of three awards for Public Architecture. Judges described it as 'a work of civic generosity as much as architectural ambition', highlighting how the team navigated multiple design and construction complexities.
Western Sydney International Airport Honored
Woods Bagot, in collaboration with COX Architecture and Zaha Hadid Architects, won for the Western Sydney International Airport, named after Nancy-Bird Walton. The project was one of three winners for Public Architecture, with judges stating: 'The building offers a stress-free and human-centric journey with civic generosity and a design connected to place, emblematic of the next phase of Western Sydney's transformation.'
Green Square Public School Takes Lord Mayor's Prize
The Lord Mayor's Prize went to BVN for its design of Green Square Public School, which also won the William E Kemp Award for Educational Architecture. Judges noted that 'the design team and client agencies demonstrated ingenuity, vision and commitment to design excellence', adding that 'it sets a new benchmark for how dense urban communities can be supported through thoughtful, integrated design.'
Campbelltown Station Car Park Wins Sustainability Award
The Hill Thalis Architecture + Urban Projects project for Campbelltown Station Commuter Car Park won the award for Sustainable Architecture, praised for its 'simplicity, clarity, and holistic integration of sustainability initiatives'. The project had previously won a top Australian Urban Design award in March.
Heritage and Adaptive Reuse Winners
The Lands by Capella, a conversion of the historic sandstone Lands Department building into an opulent function and retail space, won the Greenway Award for Heritage, a Commercial Architecture award, and the award for Interior Architecture. Judges from Hassell and Purcell Architecture described it as 'a generous and accomplished act of architectural resurrection'.
33 Alfred Street, the old AMP tower and Sydney's first highrise, was recognized in the Heritage Award for Adaptive Reuse. The JPW renewal was praised for its 'refined, calm and assured' result – 'a dignified act of architectural conservation'.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge cycleway redesign, led by Collins and Turner in collaboration with Design 5 – Architects, Aspect Studios, and Eckersley O'Callaghan, also won a Heritage Award for Adaptive Reuse. Judges said: 'Rather than compete with the Bridge, the cycleway sits alongside it as a finely calibrated contemporary addition. Its sinuous curve, elegant structure and carefully tested geometry allow the historic station entry, lettering and architectural details to remain legible and primary.' The project also won one of three Urban Design awards.
Residential and Small Project Awards
EA House, designed by Bokey Grant, won the Blacket Prize and one of four awards for Residential Architecture in the New Housing category. Embedded in a rocky escarpment in Mittagong, judges commented: 'Where others saw only difficulty, the architects identified an opportunity to create a carefully crafted sanctuary for a young family, offering a compelling model for housing in a challenging environment.'
Broken Workshop, a new farm shed in rural Byron Bay designed by Atelier Luke, was recognized in the Small Project Architecture category, described by judges as 'a joy to inhabit'.
Darlinghurst House, by Anthony Gill Architects, won the Hugh and Eva Buhrich Award for Residential Architecture in the Alterations and Additions category. Judges described the renewal of a standard terrace house and adjacent four-storey mixed-use building as a 'layered city within the city' which favored a garden oasis over maximizing warehouse-size floor space, calling it 'a beautifully crafted solution to an urban puzzle'.
