Highlight photography can be viewed here.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today (21 June 2018) announced the 49 winners of the 2018 RIBA National Awards for architecture. The RIBA awards, which have been presented since 1966, recognise the best new buildings and provide an insight into the UK’s cultural, design and construction trends.
This year’s winners range in scale from significant major cultural buildings (Tate St Ives and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire) and striking additions to the London skyline (Bloomberg and The Leadenhall Building), to tiny projects and hidden gems, such as the sculptural Bethnal Green Memorial which commemorates the 173 people who died in the Bethnal Green tube disaster of 1943, and Lochside House, an exemplary sustainable home set in the West Highlands.
Key trends illustrated by the 2018 RIBA National Award winners include:
Projects amongst the winners include a bold new cultural building which provides Chester with a library-by-day and theatre-by-night (Storyhouse); a sustainable nursery-cum-community hall (Storey’s Field Community Centre and Nursery, Cambridge); a commercial office space including restaurants, bars and a cinema (R7, London) and a former dilapidated department store dating from 1906 which has been renovated to provide work and social spaces for local businesses, including a community Post Office (The Department Store, London).
At the V&A Exhibition Road Quarter, the limited choice of materials – ceramic and timber - roll, kink and step to create a fluid new entrance which enhances the much-loved museum; at Walthamstow Wetlands, a vast, reclaimed expanse of land and waterscapes, two historic buildings have been transformed into a visitor centre and viewing platform, using a palette of sensitively chosen bricks and wood and in Liverpool the run down Royal Court has been stripped back to its original materials and given a new lease of life with a new foyer, studio theatre and bar, created on a modest budget and in keeping with the original spirit of the building as a hardworking venue.
Examples include the large-scale, community and local authority-led redevelopment of the Kings Crescent Estate in east London, where the London Borough of Hackney have upgraded existing housing with large balconies and community spaces including winter gardens, courtyards, and a street designed specifically for children to play; Royal Albert Wharf Phase 1 which creates a new mixed-tenure waterside London community; the refurbishment of three Grade II listed cast-iron Gasholders, part of the renewal of the Kings Cross area; and the expertly-designed student accommodation of Chadwick Hall, London, built cleverly between a listed building and modernist flats and on an extremely low budget.
Examples include the revival of four derelict warehouse buildings in a Sheffield conservation area (Albert Works); the elegant renovation of an Art Deco office (25 Savile Row, London); the sensitive refurbishment and extension of a Victorian warehouse in south London (53 Great Suffolk Street) and the restoration of a former Peckham stationery shop into an office for an architecture firm (Knox Bhavan Studio).
Speaking today, RIBA President Ben Derbyshire said:
“For over 50 years the RIBA Awards have celebrated the best new buildings, large or small; shining a light on trends in the construction industry, and illustrating why the UK’s architects and architecture have an enviable global reputation.
I am particularly pleased to see some excellent examples of large-scale housing schemes amongst this year’s winners. Projects such as these are beacons showing how it is possible for enlightened local authorities and developers to create the well-designed, desirable and sustainable homes that communities so desperately need.
From exceptional mixed-use buildings that bring a community together, and breathing new life into dilapidated historic buildings, to getting the best value from an awkward site or limited budget, every one of this year’s award winners is a testament to the architects’ skill in solving a range of challenges to create projects that will inspire and delight their users and communities for years to come.”
The full list of the 2018 RIBA National Award winners can be viewed here.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. For further press information contact Abigail Chiswell-White, Abigail.Chiswell-White@riba.org, 020 7307 3811
2. Images of all the winners along with jury citations can be downloaded here: https://riba.box.com/v/RIBANationalAwards2018
3. The Architects’ Journal is media partner for the RIBA National Awards and professional media partner for the RIBA Stirling Prize www.architectsjournal.co.uk
4. The 2018 National Jury Panel was chaired by Julia Barfield, Marks Barfield Architects.
5. The RIBA Awards have been running continuously since 1966 and are judged and presented locally. No matter the shape, size, budget or location, RIBA Award winning schemes set the standard for great architecture all across the country. RIBA Awards are for buildings in the UK by RIBA Chartered Architects and RIBA International Fellows. Entries are to be submitted to the region or nation in which the building is situated. Winners are considered for the RIBA Stirling Prize.
6. The 2018 RIBA Stirling Prize shortlist will be announced on Thursday 19 July; the winner will be announced on Wednesday 10 October 2018.
7. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a global professional membership body that serves its members and society in order to deliver better buildings and places, stronger communities and a sustainable environment. Architecture.com Follow @RIBA on Twitter for regular updates www.twitter.com/RIBA
