Established in 1836 when the Institute of British Architects awarded the first Silver Medal for best architectural essay, the President's Medals are the RIBA’s oldest awards and are regarded as the most prestigious international awards in architectural education.
The current format of the awards dates to 1986, when the Institute replaced a large number of student awards, scholarships and prizes with the Bronze and Silver Medals to reward outstanding design work at different stages of education.
The winners receive their awards from the RIBA President at a ceremony at the RIBA in London in early December of each year. This coincides with the opening of an exhibition of a selection of the best entries that also tours throughout the UK and internationally.
Over the last few years, this showcase of talented student work has been exhibited in countries such as Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Colombia, Egypt, Finland, France, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Kuwait, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
The exhibition comes to RIBA North’s Gallery 2 from 9 December until 24 February, showcasing not only winning submissions but also the quality and diversity of work at all levels from undergraduate to postgraduate, national to international, conceptual designs to live projects. This exhibition showcases the talent of future architects.
Please be aware that throughout the exhibition period, Gallery 2 will also be used for a number of events and meetings and will not always be accessible to the public. If you are planning a visit specifically to see this exhibition, please call ahead on 0151 703 0107 to avoid disappointment.
