The world of workplace design celebrated its excellence with the Workspace Design Awards 2026, awarded in London during the Workspace Design Show. The event, which took place on February 25, 2026, brought together architects, designers, companies and industry leaders to reward the most innovative projects in the field of workplace design, with a focus on sustainability, technology and employee experience.
The initiative, in its first edition, wanted to highlight the best achievements in the European and British scene, highlighting how workspaces are evolving rapidly to respond to new models of collaboration and productivity. From large corporate headquarters to smart offices to flexible coworking spaces, the shortlist represented a comprehensive overview of emerging trends in office design.
Among the most anticipated categories was Office Design of the Year, divided between projects under and over 3000 square meters. In the category dedicated to smaller spaces, the M Moser London Living Lab designed by M Moser Associates, the Thames & Hudson headquarters designed by Virtus and the new headquarters of the Association of British Insurers designed by Oktra were selected. For larger offices, the shortlist included high-impact projects such as EPR Architects’ OSMO , Gensler’s Virgin Media O2 headquarters and Lloyds Banking Group’s Leeds campus.
Great attention was also paid to technological innovation with the Smart Workplace of the Year category, which saw among the candidates the 1 Triton Square project developed by Piercy & Company with Arup, The Turing Building designed by Area and the dynamic Livesport Offices Digital Playground by LIKO-S.
Sustainability was another central theme of the event. In the Sustainable Workplace Design of the Year category, projects such as Ecosurety by Interaction, OSMO by EPR Architects and the Circular Office Fit-Out created by PLP Architecture were selected, concrete examples of how design can reduce the environmental impact of workplaces.
The category dedicated to work experience, Workplace Experience Design of the Year, was also very relevant, with projects that aimed to improve well-being and collaboration among employees. These include Sanofi M Station designed by Gensler, the WPP One Southwark Bridge creative campus and the Revolut London project by AIS.
During the ceremony, conducted by journalist Alys Bryan together with Anna King, founder of Informare, participants were able to celebrate not only the winners but also the creativity and design skills that are redefining the concept of the contemporary office.
A symbolic element of the event was also the official awards trophy, designed and manufactured by CECOCECO. The “W”-shaped sculpture was produced with 3D printing technology to reduce material waste and reflects the idea that the best workspaces are born from the encounter between different disciplines, ideas and perspectives.
The 2026 edition of the Workspace Design Awards has therefore confirmed how office design is becoming increasingly strategic for companies, not only from an aesthetic point of view but also in terms of sustainability, innovation and quality of working life.
INFO/PHOTO COURTESY: Nova Joseph – Marketing Manager
