Annual RIBA Norwich Lecture 2025

The Norwich Lecture 2025 will be delivered by Grimshaw, founded by the late Sir Nicholas Grimshaw in 1980, who was the winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2024 for The Elizabeth Line in London.

Grimshaw, is a place of ideas and invention, driven by a desire to connect people to each other and the world around us. They recognise the urgency of the challenges that face our planet, and their duty to deliver architecture and design best suited for a flourishing future.

Grimshaw’s mission has always been to deliver lasting, meaningful design that brings value and joy to clients and users. Building on this history, the practice aspires to design net zero carbon ready buildings by the end of 2025 and to deliver socially and environmentally regenerative buildings by 2030.

Grimshaw will be talking to us about the Stirling Prize-winning Elizabeth Line in London. The Elizabeth line is the most significant contribution to London’s transportation in over 20 years. Officially opened in May 2022, after 12 years in design, construction and delivery, the new line is now part of the London Underground network, running 100km east to west across the city through 42km of new tunnels.

Carrying an estimated 200 million passengers per year, increasing the capacity of central London’s underground railway network by 10%, the Elizabeth line connects London from Reading and Heathrow to Shenfield and Abbey Wood, and reduces commuter travel to these areas by up to 30 minutes.
Commonality is central to the line-wide design for the Elizabeth line, creating an effortless travel environment that is intuitive, safe, accessible, and enjoyable.