Caruso St John makes well-made architecture. We bring both experience and fresh thinking to everything we do. We have won international recognition for the quality of our work.

Caruso St John Architects has two offices, in London and Zurich, with about forty staff in each. We have been in practice since 1990, developing a level of quality that has been widely recognised by awards and publication. We are winners of the Stirling Prize, and Adam Caruso and Peter St John are academicians of the Royal Academy.

We carry out a wide range of work, including commercial, residential, cultural and leisure buildings, and including new-build and renovation, and permanent and temporary commissions. We welcome this diversity – it helps to make each project distinctive, and for different projects to learn from each other.

We have a strong record of working in UNESCO World Heritage Sites and other historic locations. We have also demonstrated our ability to design confident new buildings on sites without recognised conservation value.

Our size gives us the capacity to handle large-scale commissions, while ensuring that our principals Adam Caruso and Peter St John can give close attention to each project. Adam and Peter both teach architecture, at ETH Zurich and London Metropolitan University. Their practice and their teaching benefit each other, bringing together the fresh thinking of students with the experience of a successful office.

We have a strong interest in contemporary art and have worked with leading artists such as Thomas Demand, Damien Hirst and Jeremy Deller. This interest enriches our architectural work, giving perspectives and insights into the physical qualities of buildings.

People: Staff - Populated Offices 1
People: Staff - Populated Offices 2
People: Staff - Populated Offices 3
People: Staff - Populated Offices 4
People: Staff - Populated Offices 5

Practice

Our work starts with the project: who is it for? what is it for? where is it? what will it cost? what will it give to the lives that go on in it and around it? what is the best it can be? The relationship with clients is crucial. It is one of mutual respect and understanding, a shared exploration of the requirements and potential of each project.

The pursuit of well-made architecture continues into the design of each project. It means giving time and thought to the way that buildings are made, how they will last, and to the pleasure of materials that go together well. It requires creative thinking and attention to detail. It involves an openness in finding the best responses: some might be straightforward and simple, some distinctive and surprising.

Each commission is different – office, home, gallery, public space, arena, shop, church, memorial – and is valued for its difference. Each design is right for its situation, for the people who make and use it. New buildings and the renovation of existing buildings are equally valued.

To be well-made is to be fit for purpose. It does not mean that every aspect should be precious or expensive. We use efficient and economical building methods when appropriate, and bespoke and special details when they are called for.

There is no house style, but the continuous discovery of materials and approaches, whether ornamental or abstract, hand-crafted or technological, spectacular or quiet. Our architecture is underlined by a consistent attitude and commitment, a belief that designing buildings is serious work, but it is also something to be enjoyed.

Sustainability

We believe that re-use is the responsible way to develop the built environment for the future. In response to the climate emergency, we are shifting our focus to prioritise projects that deal with existing buildings.

Since its earliest days, the practice has been involved in working within existing structures, both in historic contexts and everyday settings from the post war period. Over time these projects have grown in scale and our work has extended to planning for the future requirements of our clients both in terms of programme and with regards to managing their consumption of energy and material.

Our work with existing buildings has naturally led to opportunities to further engage with and develop strategies of mitigating waste and the consumption of CO₂ and to employ new forms of low-carbon construction. Adaptive re-use is always the most effective and robust route to a zero-carbon project and in our current projects we are expanding our expertise to include matters of upcycling, material passports and whole life carbon analysis.

We wish to apply our technical knowledge and excellence in design in collaboration with exceptional clients who are committed to developing sustainable, economically efficient, and healthy projects within the existing building stock of European cities.

Practice: Sustainability 1

Royale Belge, Brussels, 2023

Practice: Sustainability 2

Veemgebouw, Eindhoven, 2022

Practice: Sustainability 3

Warehouse, Wiedikon, Zurich, 2021

Practice: Sustainability 4

Lycée Hôtelier de Lille, 2016

Practice: Sustainability 5

Newport Street Gallery, London, 2015

Practice: Sustainability 6

Studio House, North London, 1994

Selected publications

Caruso St John, Collected Works, Volume 1, 1990-2005
Mack Books (London, United Kingdom: 2022) ISBN 978-1-913620-76-9

El Croquis: Caruso St John, 2013-2019: The physical quality of space
El Croquis (Madrid, Spain: October 2019), Issue 201, ISBN 978-84-120034-3-7

Hopkins in the City
Adam Caruso, Helen Thomas (eds)
gta Verlag (Zurich, Switzerland: 2019) ISBN 978-3-85676-392-3

Island
Caruso St John and Marcus Taylor (eds)
The Store X The Spaces (London, United Kingdom: 2018)

The Office on the Grass: The evolution of the workplace
Caruso St John Architects, Aurora Fernandez, Javier Mozas (eds)
a+t architecture publishers (Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain: 2017), ISBN 978-84-697-5535-8

Rudolf Schwarz and the Monumental Order of Things
Adam Caruso, Helen Thomas (eds)
gta Verlag (Zurich, Switzerland: 2016)
ISBN 978-3856763626

Asnago and Vender and the Construction of Modern Milan
Adam Caruso, Helen Thomas (eds)
gta Verlag (Zurich, Switzerland: 2016), ISBN 978-3856763411,

a+u: Caruso St John Architects
a+u (Tokyo, Japan: March 2015), Issue 534

El Croquis: Caruso St John, 2000 - 2013: Form and Resistance
El Croquis (Madrid, Spain: March 2013), Issue 166, ISBN 978-84-88386-75-5

The Stones of Fernand Pouillon, An Alternative Modernism in French Architecture 
Adam Caruso, Helen Thomas (eds)
gta Verlag (Zurich, Switzerland: 2013), ISBN 978-3-85676-324-4

Gardens of Experience
Adam Caruso
Sun (Amsterdam, Netherlands: 2009), ISBN 978-9085065753

The Feeling of Things
Adam Caruso
Ediciones Poligrafa (Barcelona, Spain: 2008), ISBN 978-84-343-1186-2

Almost Everything
Caruso St John Architects, Philip Ursprung (ed)
Ediciones Poligrafa (Barcelona, Spain: 2008), ISBN 978-84-343-1170-1 / 978-84-343-1169-5 (ES)

As Built: Caruso St John Architects
a+t ediciones (Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain: 2005), ISBN 84-609-6609-7

Kalmar Stortorg
Helena Mattsson (ed)
Statens konstråd (Stockholm, Sweden: 2005), ISBN 91-974868-2-5

Knitting Weaving Wrapping Pressing
Birkhauser Verlag AG (Basel, Switzerland: 2002), ISBN 978-37-643-6733-6

The New Art Gallery Walsall
Deborah Smith (ed)
Batsford (London, United Kingdom: 2002), ISBN 0-7134-8787-9

Practice: Selected publications 1
Practice: Selected publications 2
Practice: Selected publications 3
Practice: Selected publications 4
Practice: Selected publications 5
Practice: Selected publications 6
Practice: Selected publications 7
Practice: Selected publications 8
Practice: Selected publications 9
Practice: Selected publications 10

Selected awards

Bremer Landesbank
BDA-Architekturpreis Nike – Nike für Fügung 2019
Grand Prix, Fritz-Höger-Preis 2017

Newport Street Gallery
RIBA Stirling Prize 2016
RIBA National Award 2016
RIBA London Award 2016

Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
RIBA National Award 2017
RIBA North West Award 2017

Heong Gallery, Downing College
RIBA East Award 2017

Gagosian Gallery Grosvenor Hill
RIBA London Award 2016
Westminster Society Award 2017

Europaallee Mixed-use building
RIBA Award for International Excellence 2016

Tate Britain
RIBA English Heritage Award 2014
RIBA London Award 2014
Civic Trust Award 2014
NLA Conservation and Retrofit Award 2014

Nottingham Contemporary
RIBA Award 2010

Chiswick House Café
RIBA English Heritage Award 2011
RIBA London Building of the Year Award 2011
RIBA Award 2011
Civic Trust Award 2011

Downing College, University of Cambridge
RIBA Award 2010

Arts Council England National Offices
RIBA Award 2009

V&A Museum of Childhood
RIBA Award 2007

Brick House
Finalist, RIBA Stirling Prize 2006
RIBA London Building of the Year Award 2006
RIBA Award 2006
Brick Awards Special Award 2005

Hallfield School
RIBA Award for Building in a Historic Context 2006
RIBA Award 2006

Gagosian Gallery Britannia Street
RIBA Award 2006

Stortorget, Kalmar
Siena Prize 2004
RIBA Award 2004

New Art Gallery Walsall
Finalist, RIBA Stirling Prize 2000
RIBA Award 2000
Civic Trust Award 2002

Selected exhibitions

Carte Blanche XVI: Caruso St John Architects
December 2018 – February 2019
Architekturforum Zürich
Zurich, Switzerland

Island
May 2018 – November 2018
The British Pavillion, La Biennale di Venezia
Venice, Italy

The façade is the window to the soul of architecture
May 2018 – November 2018
Padiglione Centrale, La Biennale di Venezia
Venice, Italy

Constructions and References
September 2017 – January 2018
Chicago Architecture Biennial
Chicago, United States

Constructions and References
May 2017 – June 2017
Architektur Galerie Berlin
Berlin, Germany

Diorama
January 2017 – February 2017
Betts Project
London, United Kingdom

33 Competitions, 6 Projects
October 2016 – November 2016
House of Art České Budějovice
České Budějovice, Czech Republic

A thousand years of song, two thousand years of architecture
January 2016
McGill University
Montreal, Canada

Madame Wu and the Mill from Hell
29th October 2013 – 19th November 2013
The British School at Rome
Rome, Italy

Pasticcio
29th August 2012 – 25th November 2012
Padiglione Centrale, La Biennale di Venezia
Venice, Italy

Caruso St John Architects, Almost Everything
April 2009 – July 2009
Institut GTA, ETH
Zurich, Switzerland

Seven Projects
October 2008
Department of Architecture and Spatial Design, London Metropolitan University
London, United Kingdom

Caruso St John - Cover Versions
October 2005 – November 2005
Architectural Association Gallery
London, United Kingdom

Caruso St John, Art Spaces
February 2001 – February 2001
Fig - 1 Gallery
London, United Kingdom

The Feeling of Things
January 1999 – January 1999
University of North London, School of Architecture
London, United Kingdom

The Presence of Construction
January 1998 – February 1998
Architectural Association Gallery
London, United Kingdom

Practice: Selected exhibitions 1

Carte Blanche XVI: Caruso St John Architects
Architekturforum Zürich
Zurich, Switzerland, 2018

Practice: Selected exhibitions 2

Island
British Pavilion, La Biennale di Venezia
Venice Italy, 2018

Practice: Selected exhibitions 3

The façade is the window to the soul of architecture
Central Pavilion, La Biennale di Venezia
Venice, Italy, 2018

Practice: Selected exhibitions 4

Constructions and References
Chicago Architecture Biennial
Chicago, United States, 2017

Practice: Selected exhibitions 5

Constructions and References
Architektur Galerie Berlin
Berlin, Germany, 2017

Practice: Selected exhibitions 6

Diorama
Betts Project
London, United Kingdom, 2017

Practice: Selected exhibitions 7

33 Competitions, 6 Projects
House of Art
České Budějovice, Czech Republic, 2016

Practice: Selected exhibitions 8

Madame Wu and the Mill from Hell
The British School at Rome
Rome, Italy, 2005

Practice: Selected exhibitions 9

Pasticcio
De Singel
Antwerp, Belgium, XXXX

Practice: Selected exhibitions 10

Cover Versions
Architectural Association Gallery
London, United Kingdom, 2005

Selected clients

Allreal

Ark Des

Arts Council England

Barbican

Bayerische Hausbau

Belvedere Museum

Blain Southern Gallery

Bremer Landesbank (Nord LB)

British Council

CIP: Construction & Investment Partners

Commerz Real

Credit Suisse

Darwin College

Downing College

English Heritage (Historic England)

Established & Sons

Esther Schipper Gallery

Fondation Cartier

Frieze Art Fair

Gagosian

Gladstone's Library

Gruner + Jahr

Hayward Gallery

Hospitalfield Arts

HRS Real Estate

Kalmar kommun / Statens konstrad

Karma International Gallery

Katholischer Konfessionsteil des Kantons St.Gallen

Kvadrat

London Borough of Southwark

Manchester City Council

Momeni

Neue Nationalgalerie / Staatliche Museen zu Berlin

Newport Street Gallery

Nottingham Contemporary

Quantum Immobilien

Region Nord Pas de Calais / Ville de Lille

RIBA: Royal Institute of British Architects

Royal Geographical Society

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

SBB: Swiss Federal Railways

Science Limited

SCP Furniture

Sir John Soane's Museum

Souverain 25 NV

Spike Island

Staatliches Bauamt München

Stephen Friedman Gallery

Stiftung Behindertenwerk St. Jakob

Tate

The British Museum

The Dean and Chapter of Canterbury Cathedral

Trudo

V&A: Victoria & Albert Museum

W·RE: Westminster Real Estate

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council

ZLE Betriebs AG / ZSC Lions