Five exceptional buildings that wouldn't exist without RIBA Competitions
Architectural design competitions have a long and illustrious history. The Houses of Parliament in London, the Palais Garnier Opera House in Paris and RIBA’s headquarters in Portland Place, London all originated from a competitive process.
Design competitions inspire architects to push creative boundaries, offer innovative design solutions and, ultimately, deliver exceptional buildings for the clients that commission them. It is therefore unsurprising that many of these projects, once realised, go on to become national or international award winners.
Here, we look back at the five celebrated buildings that resulted from RIBA Competitions and how they fulfilled the client briefs that inspired them.
1. The Senedd Cymru, The National Assembly for Wales
The Senedd Cymru (known as the Welsh Parliament in English) stands metres from Cardiff Bay and is a hub of activity outside the city centre, attracting everyone from politicians to tourists. Originating from a RIBA Competition, the brief was to design a new National Assembly for Wales, and the result is a building that is a recognisable symbol for Wales throughout the world and a prestigious landmark.
The building officially opened on St David’s Day on 1 March 2006 by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and was shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize that same year. The chosen architect was Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners who were chosen from 55 entrants worldwide. The competition jury felt their design “symbolised a new form of democracy of which the whole of Wales could be proud”.
The Assembly reflects the democratic process, placing the public above the elected assembly members, with the debating chamber as both the physical and metaphorical centre of the design.
It has been awarded the BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating for its environmental strategy, which includes boreholes, greywater recycling, and extensive use of natural light and ventilation.
Watch a video of the project below
2. Town House, Kingston University, London
The Town House Building embodies Kingston University’s creative approach to education, with practical outcomes that benefit people and communities. It replaces an existing building on the site and occupies a prominent position on the northern edge of the Penrhyn Road Campus.
Grafton Architects have designed a purposefully democratic and open space, as its name suggests: Town – referring to the building’s civic dimension, and House – reflecting a sense of home and belonging. Half of the students at Kingston are the first in their family to attend university and this building sends an important message to them, their educators and the local community, that this is a place where everyone is welcome and valued.
The building went on to win the RIBA Stirling Prize 2021 and 2022 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award.
3. RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London
We go back to the start of 1932 and 66 Portland Place, London where a competition was launched by RIBA itself to create a new home for the institute.
The site was acquired in 1931, and a recommendation was made that an open competition should be held for the design of the new building. The competition was launched soon after and coincided with other public architectural competitions for landmark buildings such as Guildford Cathedral, Norwich Town Hall, and the Stratford Memorial Theatre.
The original competition brief placed no restrictions on entrants about style and quickly ignited debate in the architectural profession. The brief said, “It should be borne in mind that the new RIBA building, by reason of its representative character is likely to be held by the present and by future generations of architects and the general public to be an example of the best work of our time”.
In 1932 Grey Wornum’s design was selected as the winner; it was generally commended for its clever use of plan and section and subtle balance of modernity and classicism.
View more plans and photos of the competition entry on the RIBApix website.
4. Halley VI Research Station, Antarctica
Described as a “triumph of British design” and a very “unusual and unique construction project”, the Halley VI Research Station designed by Hugh Broughton Architects with Faber Maunsell, replaced the Halley V Research Station located on a floating ice shelf 900 miles from the South Pole.
Still in use today, it was awarded the RIBA International Award 2013 amongst other awards. It comprises of six interconnected modules and built on a series of mechanical legs on skis that will enable it to be relocated as and when it’s necessary. It houses 16 people in the winter and 52 during the Antarctic summer. Officially completed and launched on 5 February 2013, the central red module contains the communal areas for eating and socialising, while the blue modules provide accommodation, laboratories, offices, generators, an observation platform and other facilities.
It’s an important platform for global earth, atmospheric and space weather observation in a climate-sensitive zone.
5. Goldsmith Street, Norwich
Goldsmith Street is a highly energy-efficient council housing development in Norwich. The layout is a simple series of seven terrace blocks arranged in four lines with all of the homes facing south. The chosen winner of the competition, Mikhail Riches developed the scheme with a highly sustainable community in mind.
A winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize 2019 and shortlisted for the RIBA Neave Brown for Housing Shortlist 2019 amongst other awards, it set a new UK benchmark for local authority-led sustainable housing at scale. It was 100% social housing, 100% Passivhaus-certified and has proven hugely popular with its residents.
David Mikhail of Mikhail Riches said:
“It is not often we are appointed to work on a project so closely aligned with what we believe matters; buildings people love which are low impact. We hope other Local Authorities will be inspired to deliver beautiful homes for people who need them the most, and at an affordable price.”
RIBA is the UK’s most widely recognised provider of competition services with the expertise and experience to support clients throughout the process, from setting up the competition to the selection of a winner.
However big or small your upcoming project we deliver choice, inspiration, and value to clients through expertly run-architectural design competitions. Find out more information about holding a competition or entering a competition by downloading our guides.
