AIA International is the broadest geographical component of the American Institute of Architects. The AIA International Design Awards recognise best practices, innovative thinking, and design excellence of AIA members’ projects worldwide. This year, the jury recognised submissions across three categories – Architecture, Interior Architecture and Urban Design.  

With 96 percent of Sydney’s train services concentrated through Central Station, this historic hub forms the backbone of the metropolitan rail network. Enhancing the city’s transit system in relation to its urban fabric, this project provides a catalyst for cultural and economic activity. The upgrade to the historic Walter Vernon-designed station marks a significant phase in modernising the city’s transport system, with the ability to service 450,000 passengers per day.  

Woods Bagot Principal and Global Sector Leader – Rail John Prentice says, “It’s been a privilege to see how we, as architects, can work through tunnels and trains and create space for design culture and places for people.”  

“This project has been elevated through the ambitious, large-scale public art program, which includes Dr Bronwyn Bancroft’s Time Travellers on the suburban platforms and Rose Nolan’s All Alongside Each Other, which creates a vibrant pathway for the new metro line.”  

“The public art insertions are positive and meaningful contributions to this transit space, and we are grateful that Laing O’Rourke and Sydney Metro trusted us to help deliver a space that was not only functional, but provided a space that genuinely enhances people’s daily journeys through the city.”  

The design places the user experience at the centre of Central Station’s transformation. More open spaces, such as the new Northern Concourse, significantly improve circulation and station legibility, with enhanced accessibility, permeability, and connectivity across the station’s precinct. Natural light, particularly in subterranean elements, is maximised to enhance the user experience, assisting orientation and intuitive wayfinding around the station. 

About the Awards 

AIA International held its 2025 Design Awards Ceremony at the Cinnamon Grand hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 11 October 2025, as part of the AIA International Conference Sri Lanka: The Art within Architecture.  

2025 Jury:  

• Barbara Bouza, FAIA, NOMA, IIDA, Executive Director of Market Strategies & Growth – Live, Work, Play, Cannon Design; Past President, AIA Los Angeles 
• Brinda Somaya, Hon. FAIA, Founder and Principal Architect, Somaya Sampat 

• Sophia Gruzdys, AIA, President and Founder, SGLA International Architecture; Past President, AIA Continental Europe 

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) represents over 100,000 members in the US and worldwide. For more than 150 years, the AIA has been the leading professional membership association for US licensed architects, emerging professionals, and allied partners in the building industry, now comprising over 300 chapters. 

View the full list of winners on the AIA International website.  

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Adrien Moffatt
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