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The Carbuncle Cup is an architecture prize, given annually by the magazine Building Design to "the ugliest building in the United Kingdom completed in the last 12 months". It is intended to be a humorous response to the prestigious Stirling Prize, given by the Royal Institute of British Architects.
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The Carbuncle Cup award was launched in 2006, with the first winner being Drake Circus Shopping Centre in Plymouth by Chapman Taylor. A shortlist is announced by Building Design each year, based on nominations from the public, and usually timed to coincide with the Stirling Prize shortlist. Public voting via the magazine's website was used to select past winners, giving the award a sense of democratic involvement. Since 2009 a small group of critics has selected the final winners.
The award was inspired by the Carbuncle Awards, which the Scottish architecture magazine Urban Realm, formerly Prospect, had been presenting to buildings and areas in Scotland since 2000.
The names of both awards are derived from a comment by Charles, Prince of Wales, an outspoken critic of modern architecture, who in 1984 described Ahrends, Burton and Koralek's proposed extension of London's National Gallery as a "monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant friend".
2006
The first shortlist was announced in October 2006, and featured ten buildings.
2007
Seven buildings were shortlisted in 2007. Opal Court, a student housing complex in Leicester, was voted the winner in October.
2008
The 2008 shortlist of seven buildings was announced in early October. Stuart Lowther of EPR Architects said he was "extremely disappointed" at the award for the Radisson SAS Waterfront Hotel being given to his firm, as the project was inherited from another architect and EPR had not designed the building's exterior.
2009
A longlist of ten buildings was announced in August 2009. Grosvenor Group, the developer of One Park West, organised a "group hug" of the building, following its nomination. The prize, judged by critics Owen Hatherley and Ellis Woodman, and architect Sean Griffith, was awarded to Liverpool Ferry Terminal, with the University of Nottingham Amenity building and Queen Margaret University placed second and third.
2010
The jury in 2010 comprised Jonathan Glancey, Owen Hatherley, Amanda Baillieu and Ellis Woodman. The shortlist of six was announced in July, and the Strata building was announced as the winner in August. The article described the tower as: "Decked out with Philishave stylings, this is a building that appears to be auditioning for a supporting role in a James Bond title sequence."
2011
The shortlist of six was announced in July. In August, a jury consisting of national newspaper architecture critics: Rowan Moore of the Observer, Hugh Pearman of the Sunday Times and the Guardian’s Jonathan Glancey voted MediaCityUK the 2011 winner.
2012
The shortlist of six was announced in July, In August, a jury including Owen Hatherley, Gillian Darley and Ellis Woodman voted Cutty Sark Renovation the 2012 winner.
2013
The shortlist of six was announced in August 2013. The winner was announced later that same month as 465 Caledonian Road, student accommodation in London.
2014
The shortlist of six was announced in August 2014. The winner was announced in September 2014 as Woolwich Central, a Sheppard Robson-designed mixed-use scheme in south east London.
2015
The shortlist of six was announced in August 2015, selected by a panel of judges including Building Design editor Thomas Lane, architectural critic Ike Ijeh, writer, broadcaster and historian Gillian Darley and architectural designer Eleanor Jolliffe, both columnists for the magazine. The winner was announced in September 2015 as 20 Fenchurch Street, designed by Rafael Viñoly.
2016
The shortlist of six was announced in August 2016, selected by a panel of judges consisting of Building Design editor Thomas Lane, architect and architectural critic Ike Ijeh, author, architect and Building Design columnist Ben Flatman and the LSE’s director of estates Julian Robinson. The winner was announced in September 2016 as Lincoln Plaza, designed by Hamiltons Architects and delivered by BUJ Architects.