Oscar Acoustics celebrates winner of the 2026 RIBA Reinvention Award
We are proud to sponsor the award again this year, presented at the RIBA Stirling Prize ceremony on Thursday 15 October at Old Billingsgate in London. The evening marked the 30th edition of the Stirling Prize and brought together architects, clients and industry leaders for the biggest night in the architectural calendar.
The winner of the 2026 RIBA Reinvention Award is Samuel Chisholm Studio and Takero Shimazaki Architects for Oru Sutton, their transformation of a south London department store. Our congratulations also go to the other finalists: Edinburgh Futures Institute, a 19th-century hospital transformed into a learning and research centre for the University of Edinburgh. Space House, the restoration of a Grade II-listed Modernist icon as a sustainable, contemporary workplace. The Buttermarket, a historic buttermarket in Redruth, Cornwall, reborn as a fully accessible community hub.
why this award matters to us
The Reinvention Award recognises the creative reuse of existing buildings to improve their environmental, social or economic sustainability. It is a subject very close to our heart at Oscar Acoustics, because so much of our work happens inside buildings that are being given a second life.
Retrofit keeps a building standing, but that is only half the job. Once reinvented, an existing building has to work for the people inside it, and that includes how it sounds. Around 60% of UK adults are noise-sensitive, including neurodivergent people and those with hearing or visual challenges. Acoustic design makes spaces audio-inclusive and inviting for everyone.
a sound thinking roundtable
Retrofit is also where acoustics is most often missed. At our Sound Thinking roundtable we hosted in association with RIBA Journal in June this year, we shared research showing that 69% of architects agree acoustic comfort is important, yet only 14% consider it at briefing and concept stage. By the time the existing fabric has been dealt with, acoustic fixes cost more and deliver less.
championing audio-inclusive design
That is why we back Sownd Certification from Sownd Affects, the world’s first framework for recognising spaces with proven-acoustic performance as audio-inclusive. It gives independently verified proof, tested by the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research at the University of Southampton, that a space has been designed for everyone.
A number of leading practices have already had their offices Sownd Certified, including Hoare Lea, dMFK, Hilson Moran
Our own HQ, the Oscar Innovation Centre, is the world’s first Sownd Certified building, and projects that specify our acoustic sprays and acoustic plaster qualify automatically for Bronze, including past projects.
why SonaSpray is perfect for retrofits
Retrofit projects rarely give you a clean slate. Existing buildings come with domes, vaults, corrugated decks, exposed concrete and heritage fabric, and panels or suspended ceilings struggle to fit them. SonaSpray is applied directly as a seamless, continuous finish that follows almost any surface shape and bonds to plaster, wood, metal and concrete. The range runs from ultra-smooth to coarsely textured, so designers can achieve the acoustic performance they need without compromising the look of the space.
SonaSpray is fire-rated and made from recycled paper and other rapidly renewable materials, and it sequesters carbon. It contributes to leading sustainability and wellbeing certifications including BREEAM, LEED and WELL, and holds M1, CDPH and GREENGUARD Gold certification for ultra-low VOC emissions and healthier indoor air.
It is an equally strong choice for new builds, and any project that specifies it automatically qualifies for Bronze Sownd Certification, independent proof that the space works for everyone.
ready to specify SonaSpray?
From historic buildings to modern commercial redevelopments, SonaSpray allows designers to achieve beautiful, acoustically balanced environments without compromising on sustainability or aesthetics, making it the ideal solution for projects recognised by the Reinvention Award.
Speak to one of our experts today about your next project.