Scotland's best piece of architecture of 2025 revealed
The winner has transformed a neglected city centre and made it green, accessible and fun once again.
The new "beating civic heart of Aberdeen" has been named as Scotland’s top piece of architecture for 2025.
Union Terrace Gardens, an ambitious regeneration project, has earned the Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.
Designed by Stallan-Brand Architecture + Design and LDA Design, Union Terrace Gardens is now a hugely popular landmark in the city which has opened up an unwelcoming and hard-to-reach piece of park space and turned it into a pleasing and interesting space that is now well used.
Following years of neglect, the £28.3m project has revived the gardens by introducing new architecture and restoring historic features to create a safe, people- centred space, which is topped by lush planting and landscaping. New walkways through the steep site open up the sunken garden.
Three lantern-like pavilions - reminiscent of the city’s historic trams - now dot the landscape and support a new café, restaurant and wine bar, which adds to activity around the gardens during both day and night.
Architect Mary Duggan, who chaired the RIAS Doolan Award jury, said: “Union Terrace Gardens draws people in without intimidation: an open invitation that promotes a sense of community through a genuine public offering, and delivering precisely the opposite of what the space had become through years of neglect.
“Beyond its architectural and horticultural precision, the project is a demonstration of civic governance, endurance and responsibility. This ten-year investment by Aberdeen City Council embodies a form of public trust and collective patience that is rarely seen in contemporary procurement, while also delivering an exemplary quality, with a deeper attitude towards sustainability and democracy.”
The regeneration of the park was pursued by Aberdeen City Council after oil tycoon Sir Ian Wood pledged £50m of his own money to restore the park, with a shortlist of designs drawn up.
The City Garden Project was welcomed by many in the city but proved controversial and, ultimately, divisive.
In 2012, the plans were narrowly rejected after a council debate, which followed a referendum of residents, who voted in favour of the designs by just over 4,000 votes.
Alongside Union Terrace Gardens, the shortlist featured a new road bridge in the Cairngorms, new facilities for the University of Edinburgh, and a restored historic tower house in the Highlands.
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Reflecting on the project ahead of the jury’s decision, Paul Stallan, design director of Stallan- Brand Architecture + Design, said: “Union Terrace Gardens isn’t just a park or some pavilions: it is the beating civic heart of Aberdeen. We are incredibly proud that the gardens and all the facilities we’ve provided are being embraced and used by Aberdonians in joyful and innovative ways.
“It is urban regeneration at its best and is demonstrably countering the pernicious decline of town centres that has plagued cities and towns across the country. This proves that with the right investment, ambition and political will, we can turn this urban malaise around.”
Karen Anderson, RIAS President, said: “Union Terrace Gardens is an outstanding winner of this year’s RIAS Doolan Award, and demonstrates perfectly how architecture can enrich the lives of everyone who encounters it.”
“I’m delighted that Union Terrace Gardens is the first public realm project to be recognised in this way. The collaboration between Stallan-Brand Architecture + Design and LDA Design brings together contemporary architecture, heritage conservation and landscape design, and the huge popularity of the gardens today is a testament to their vision, skills and teamwork.”
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