The Urban Developer has published its list of finalists for its Awards for Industry Excellence. Among more than 200 finalists across 26 categories, three Woods Bagot projects have been shortlisted across three categories.
Now in its ninth year, the awards continue to spotlight the people and projects shaping the future of the Australian built environment.
The 2026 finalists span some of Australia’s most significant projects delivered in recent years, alongside the innovative teams and organisations pushing boundaries in commercial, residential, and mixed-use development.
Designed by Woods Bagot, Gore Street, Younghusband, and 25Hours Hotel have been shortlisted across three diverse categories. Winners will be announced at the gala awards dinner on Friday 24 July.
Designed by Woods Bagot, Gore Street comprises 49 two- and three-bedroom homes within a coveted triple-fronted corner site location. This restrained, consciously designed and generous multi-residential development is shaped by its Fitzroy neighbourhood, giving back to the local character through landscaped thresholds and green edges that soften the robust architectural form.
“It’s downsizing without feeling like you are downsizing,” says Woods Bagot Design Director Peter Miglis. “We’ve removed any sense of compromise through generous proportions, crafted detail and privacy with outlook.”
Gore Street was submitted by Piccolo a long-time Woods Bagot collaboration partner and family-run business of 50 years, specialising in the curation of bespoke homes that champion the values of craftsmanship, longevity, and user wellbeing.
Other finalists in this category include Cotton Tree residences in Maroochydore by Mosaic Property Group, and Nexus Apartments in Thomastown designed by Hachem Architecture for Forte Group.
Recognising best practice-sustainability in design, this award is open to projects, products and initiatives that push the boundaries in carbon reduction an innovation. As one of Australia’s most ambitious adaptive reuse projects, Younghusband sets new benchmarks in sustainabile development and decarbonisation at urban scale.
Using a “light touch” methodology, project collaborators have converted over 17,000 square metres of underutilised industrial landscape into a vibrant, mixed-use community precinct. Through a circular design approach, the majority of existing fabric was retained, achieving an 84 percent reduction in embodied carbon and net-zero operational performance.
“A lot of technical thinking and resolution goes into making these turn-of-the-century buildings occupiable,” says Woods Bagot Design Director Peter Miglis. “The outcome is a celebration of historic detail and enduring materiality, combined with best-practice sustainability, operational efficiency and accessible design.”
Younghusband was submitted by Woods Bagot and sustainability consultants E-Lab.
The 25hours Hotel The Olympia marks the Australian debut of the 25hours brand, introducing a new boutique destination to Sydney. Conceived as a place for dreamers and renegades, the hotel draws on the legacy of the former Olympia Theatre, weaving a cinematic sensibility through every layer of the experience.
The project brings together a considered design collaboration, with Woods Bagot shaping the food and beverage venues, Indyk Architects designing the hotel rooms, and Tonkin Zulaikha Greer leading the base build.
Woods Bagot Principal Tracey Wiles says, “The cinematic and theatrical narrative of 25hours Hotel The Olympia provided a rich foundation for the food and beverage offering. Several venues already carried strong identities within the Paskin Group’s portfolio, so our role was to respect that existing design DNA while carefully embedding each concept within the Paddington and Oxford Street context, and aligning them with the hotel’s broader story.”
“Each venue interprets cinema and storytelling in its own way. The Mulwray draws on the enigmatic presence of Evelyn Mulwray from Chinatown—layered, atmospheric and suited to a moody late-night bar. Jacob the Angel brings with it a Soho legacy, its story of travel and cultural exchange resonating with the hotel’s wider narrative. Palomar connects the photographic heritage of its London namesake with references to the 1920s Olympia Theatre, creating a dialogue between past and present.”
“At the rooftop, Monica introduces a West Hollywood sensibility to Sydney—an urban oasis that captures the energy of Oxford Street while offering a more expansive, open experience. Together, the venues form a collection of distinct yet interconnected spaces, each contributing to the hotel’s immersive, story-driven identity.”
25hours was submitted by Central Element.
View the full list of finalists.
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