ARU Peterborough’s striking new building, The Lab, has been awarded top honours at the 2025 Pineapples Awards — a national celebration of buildings that enhance the places and communities around them.
The £32 million facility triumphed in the Best Building category, beating out five other finalists, including the towering 8 Bishopsgate in the City of London and UCL East Marshgate at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Held in London, the Pineapples Awards are named after the traditional symbol of hospitality in British architecture. ARU Peterborough took home a golden pineapple trophy, with judges praising The Lab as “a real beacon for its placemaking and wider social impact.”
Completed last summer and officially opened in the autumn, The Lab is now the architectural and academic heart of ARU Peterborough’s expanding campus. The building includes the Living Lab, a public-facing space designed for exhibitions and community events, as well as high-tech teaching areas, labs and engineering workshops.
Lien Geens, Associate Director of MCW Architects, who designed The Lab, said: “Our vision was to design more than just a university building. We wanted it to feel open, dynamic and rooted in the city – a place that welcomes and inspires.”
Professor Ross Renton, Principal of ARU Peterborough, described the win as “very special,” saying: “From day one, we’ve been clear that ARU Peterborough is designed to serve the needs of this great city. This award confirms we’re on the right track.”
The university, a partnership between Anglia Ruskin University, Peterborough City Council, and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, is gaining national attention for its employment-focused courses and its mission to widen access to higher education.
The next undergraduate Open Day takes place on Saturday 7 June, offering visitors a chance to explore the award-winning campus for themselves.
