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Global engineering excellence meets sustainability and innovation

The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) has announced the shortlist for its prestigious 2025 Structural Awards, celebrating global projects that demonstrate exceptional innovation, sustainability and social impact.

The judging panel continues to evaluate entries against four core attributes: Planet (environmental impact), People (social value), Process (technical innovation) and Profession (collaboration and advocacy).

For the 2025 awards, the shortlist is presented under themes such as Arts structures, Bridges, Infrastructure, Structure at Scale, Engineered timber, and Reuse, retrofit and remediation – reflecting the evolving landscape of structural engineering.

All shortlisted projects have provided detailed embodied carbon footprint calculations using the IStructE carbon calculator tool, and collectively they demonstrate a strong commitment to environmental and social responsibility in structural design.

Shortlisted Projects

The shortlist features 34 outstanding projects, spanning six continents from Asia to North America, demonstrating the global reach of structural engineering excellence.

Arts structures include the Dynamic Equilibrium of Life Pavilion in Osaka, Japan, featuring innovative paper tube and laminated bamboo construction, and Fern the Diplodocus at London’s Natural History Museum, a bronze sculptural installation combining art with structural precision.

Fern the Diplodocus at London’s Natural History Museum, UK (Credit: The Trustees of the Natural History Museum)

Bridge projects showcase innovation from the opening Gull Wing Bridge in Lowestoft, to Germany’s pioneering Oder Railroad Bridge, which uses carbon fibre hangers in a world-first application for railway infrastructure.

Gull Wing Bridge, Germany (Credit Arup)

Infrastructure highlights range from Sydney’s Central Station Metro, transforming urban transport connectivity, to Singapore’s Thomson – East Coast Line Orchard Station, demonstrating excellence in underground construction.

Structure at Scale celebrates major venues including Beijing’s Workers’ Stadium renovation incorporating seismic isolation technology, Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium with its innovative roof structure, and Liverpool’s Everton Stadium featuring advanced precast concrete systems.

Engineered timber projects demonstrate sustainable construction leadership through developments like BEAM Hertford’s innovative CLT structure, Google’s Mass Timber 1 facility in California pioneering large-scale timber construction, and Ontario’s Limberlost Place integrating advanced timber engineering with passive design.

Reuse, retrofit and remediation projects include the critical Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) remediation programme at West Yorkshire’s Airedale General Hospital, addressing infrastructure challenges, and London’s Paradise development, transforming historic structures for contemporary use.

These projects showcase how structural engineers are addressing global challenges through innovative design solutions that minimise environmental impact whilst enhancing community quality of life.

The shortlisted projects were evaluated by a distinguished judging panel of 23 leading structural engineers, academics and industry experts from around the world, chaired by Professor John Orr, Professor of Structural Engineering at the University of Cambridge.

The expert panel assessed each entry against the four core attributes, with particular emphasis on how projects demonstrate innovation while delivering positive environmental and social impact.

“What strikes me most about this year’s shortlist is the sheer diversity of challenges our profession is tackling,” said Professor John Orr. “We’re seeing engineers breathing new life into crumbling hospitals with RAAC issues, creating stunning art installations that double as structural masterpieces, and pioneering the use of carbon fibre in ways we’ve never seen before. It’s projects like these that remind us why structural engineering is such an exciting field to be in right now.”

The awards continue to set benchmarks for future projects worldwide, celebrating talent and vision within the structural engineering community.

The complete shortlist can be viewed here and the winners will be announced at the IStructE Structural Awards ceremony on 14 November 2025 at The Brewery, London.

Book your tickets here.