Big Ben restoration shortlisted for RIBA Stirling Prize alongside fashion campus and home extension

The five-year, £80 million restoration of Big Ben's tower has been shortlisted for the Royal Institute of British Architects' Stirling Prize, the organisation announced on Friday, joining a new fashion college campus, a medical research centre and several housing projects on the six-strong list.

The Elizabeth Tower's refurbishment, officially known as the restoration of the Elizabeth Tower, was praised by judges as "a masterclass in conservation and craftsmanship." The Stirling Prize, awarded annually by RIBA, recognises the best new building completed in the UK each year.

Also on the shortlist is the new London College of Fashion campus built on the former Olympic Park in east London. The project transforms a high-profile site into educational facilities aimed at fashion, design and related industries and represents a major cultural investment in the area.

AstraZeneca's medical research centre in Cambridge is another nominee, reflecting the award's embrace of scientific and industrial architecture. The shortlist also includes the Appleby Blue Almshouse retirement home in south London, described by judges as "pioneering," and Niwa House, a Japanese-inspired residence also in south London.

The final nominee is an extension to an "eccentric" home in Hastings, which judges flagged for its inventive response to a complex existing structure and site. Together the six projects span conservation, education, health research and domestic architecture.

Last year's Stirling Prize was awarded to the Elizabeth line project, highlighting the prize's tendency to recognise infrastructure and large-scale public works as well as smaller, specialist projects. RIBA's announcement of the shortlist comes ahead of the final prize decision, when judges will select the overall winner from the six nominated schemes.

RIBA's Stirling Prize is regarded as the UK's premier architecture award and has in recent years showcased a broad cross-section of building types and conservation efforts. The inclusion of the Elizabeth Tower restoration underscores the continued value placed on careful conservation of historic landmarks alongside newly constructed works.