The New York branch of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has announced the winners of its annual Design Awards. Selected from more than 200 entries, 24 winners were chosen to represent the exceptional work of AIANY members and architects practicing in New York City. Jury members, who announced winners at a symposium at the Center for Architecture on January 12th, granted “Honor,” “Merit,” or “Citation” designations for design quality, response to context and community, program resolution, innovation, thoughtfulness, and technique.
The 2026 jury included Adam Ainslie, BLDUS and the University of Maryland; Maarten Gielen, Halfwerk; Brie Hensold, Agency Landscape + Planning; Susan Jones, atelierjones; Jeff Kamuda, Birdseye; Christiana Moss, STUDIO MA; and Kia Weatherspoon, Determined by Design.
The 2026 AIANY Design Awards winners are:
ARCHITECTURE
Honor
Amy Gutmann Hall, University of Pennsylvania (Lake Flato and KSS Architects)
Honor
Book Tower (ODA Architects)
Honor
Davis Center at the Harlem Meer (Susan T Rodriguez | Architecture + Design; Mitchell Giurgola Architects; Central Park Conservancy)
Honor
The Eliza and New York Public Library Inwood Branch (Fogarty Finger; Andrew Berman Architect)
Merit
Doris Duke Theatre at Jacob’s Pillow (Marvel; Mecanoo)
Merit
Brown University Brook Street Residence Halls (TenBerke; STIMSON)
Merit
Disney New York City Headquarters, Robert A. Iger Building (SOM; Gensler; Scape Studio)
Merit
Frame 122 (Brent Buck Architects; MKM Landscape Architecture)
Merit
Garden House at the Packer Collegiate Institute (WXY Architecture + Urban Design; Starr Whitehouse)
Merit
Honnen Art House (Kennedy & Violich Architecture)
Merit
Lopez Playground Modular Comfort Station (1100 Architect)
Merit
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (Snøhetta)
Merit
Studio Museum in Harlem (Adjaye Associates; Cooper Robertson)
Merit
Terminal Warehouse (COOKFOX Architects; Terrain-NYC)
Citation for the Integration of Embodied and Operational Sustainability
475 High Performance Building Supply (Ryan Enschede Studio)
Citation for the Integration of Embodied and Operational Sustainability
Riverhouse (WORKac; Anne Penniman Associates; Golden Root Inc.)
Citation for the Integration of Embodied and Operational Sustainability
Storm King Art Center (Heneghan Peng Architects; WXY Architecture + Urban Design; Gustafson Porter + Bowman; Reed Hilderbrand)
INTERIORS
Honor
David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center (Diamond Schmitt; Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects | Partners)
Merit
Manifest (INC Architecture & Design)
Merit
Sculpting History at the Valentine Studio: Art, Power, and the “Lost Cause” American Myth at the Valentine
PROJECTS
Honor
Exodus Dance Restoration at Kingsborough Houses (New York City Housing Authority; Ronnette Riley)
Merit
Autonomous Urbanism: Towards a New Transitopia (Evan Shieh)
URBAN DESIGN
Merit
South Battery Park City Resilience (AECOM LAUD NYC)
Citation for Celebrating the Reuse of Post-Industrial Infrastructure
Neuhoff (S9 Architecture and Engineering; HKS; Smith Gee Studio)