Tracy Meller announced as judge for 2026 Stirling Prize

Tracy Meller, Senior Director at RSHP, has been appointed to the judging panel for the 2026 RIBA Stirling Prize, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. 

The Stirling Prize recognises outstanding architectural achievement and buildings that make a significant contribution to the built environment. Two RSHP projects have previously won the award: Madrid Barajas Airport Terminal 4 in 2006 and Maggie’s West London Centre in 2009.

With over 25 years’ experience at RSHP, Tracy has worked across the residential, commercial, healthcare and education sectors, leading the design and delivery of complex projects on challenging urban sites. 

Her work as lead architect includes LSE Centre Building, South Kensington Station, NEO Bankside and Mossbourne Community Academy.

In 2020, Tracy received the inaugural MJ Long Prize for Excellence in Practice for her work on the LSE Centre Building. Open to all UK-based female architects, the prize is judged on the overall body of work with emphasis on a project completed in the past 18 months.

She is a Trustee of the University Design Forum and has served as a judge on the RIBA Awards Group, The Architects' Journal Awards, and the Civic Trust Awards. Tracy chaired the RIBA Bronze and Silver Medal panel (2021 and 2022), the Super Jury at WAF (2022 and 2023), and judged WAF's Commercial Built (2024) and Future Projects (2025) categories. 

Reflecting on the judging process for the Stirling Prize this year, Tracy said: “To understand the human experience of a building, you have to visit it. You need to understand how light falls, how the acoustics work, how materials feel as you move through a space, and how views are framed, concealed or revealed.

These sequences shape the experience of moving through a building and cannot be fully captured in photographs or drawings. Experiencing these qualities first-hand was one of the most rewarding aspects of visiting the projects on this year’s shortlist.”