The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) unveiled the winners of the 2012 RIBA Awards. RIBA Awards for architectural excellence were presented to 50 buildings in the UK and 9 buildings elsewhere in the EU. The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize for the building of the year will be drawn from the 59 RIBA Award winners.
This year’s winners range from a house in the shape of a sand dune to the London 2012 Olympic Stadium, from a demountable opera pavilion to the radical transformation of a Spanish bull-fighting arena. The dominant theme amongst this year’s winners are major public arts buildings – ten of which have made the grade; many are the result of pre-recession arts lottery funding which has a typically long gestation period. The beautifully finished projects include Bath’s Holburne Museum (Eric Parry Architects) and the Hepworth Wakefield (David Chipperfield Architects).
Refreshingly, the vast majority of the 2012 RIBA Awards winners are in regional towns, with awards across all genre types. Two of the UK’s best-loved seaside towns have received surprising new additions to their coastline and, in the case of the Turner Contemporary at Margate, been hailed as a boost to the town’s economy.
This year’s winners reveal a trend which could be termed “austerity chic,” with a strong presence of crafted and considered buildings, using carefully selected materials which emphasize texture, authenticity and environmental efficiency. The Brockholes Nature Reserve Visitor Centre in Lancashire is the perfect example of this – a wooden “floating village” designed to enhance our enjoyment of nature and with an enviable energy rating.
Thoughtful stitching-together of the existing urban fabric is another theme – with the clever reuse and reinvention of existing spaces. Impressive examples of this include London‘s new Exhibition Road streetscape and Central St Martin’s Campus, while impressive urban projects such as Kevin McCloud’s housing project, The Triangle in Swindon and the new Lyric Theatre in Belfast demonstrate how to make the best use of confined urban spaces.
“For nearly fifty years the RIBA Awards have reflected the changing state of British architecture and revealed emerging design trends,” commented Angela Brady, President of RIBA. “What really stands out is that even in times of austerity, we can still deliver amazingly clever, high quality buildings that reflect the needs of today and enhance our daily lives. The judges were delighted to see so many well considered, crafted and innovative projects, and the use of beautiful materials; these projects are truly exciting and inspiring. The huge range of great buildings will guarantee an exciting RIBA Stirling Prize shortlist later in the year and illustrates the value of quality in architecture.”
2012 RIBA Award Winners
Scotland
National Museum of Scotland, EdinburghGareth Hoskins Architects
Bogbain Mill, MaryburghRural Design
Dundee Council Civic Office, DundeeReiach and Hall Architects
Maggie’s Gartnavel, GlasgowOMA
Scottish National Portrait Gallery, EdinburghPage/Park Architects
Northern Ireland
Glenariffe House, Glens of AntrimMcGarry-Moon Architects
Lyric Theatre, BelfastO’Donnell + Tuomey
Public Records Office of Northern Ireland, BelfastTodd Architects
Rear Extension to 109 Osborne Park, Belfastard (ciaran mackel) Architects
North East
Roseberry Park, MiddlesbroughMedical Architecture
Toffee Factory, Newcastle upon Tynexsite architecture
North West
Brockholes Visitor Centre, LancashireAdam Khan Architects
Festival House, BlackpooldRMM Architects
North House, BowdenRoger Stephenson Architects
Yorkshire
Kirk Balk Community College, BarnsleyAllford Hall Monaghan Morris
Saxton, LeedsUnion North
The Hepworth Wakefield, WakefieldDavid Chipperfield Architects
Wales
Maggie’s South West Wales, SwanseaKisho Kurokawa Architect & Associates with Garber & James
Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, CardiffBFLS
West Midlands
BFI Master Film Store, WarwickshireEdward Cullinan Architects
East Midlands
Caistor Arts & Heritage Centre, LincolnshireJonathan Hendry Architects
Easton Neston Estate, NorthamptonshirePtolemy Dean Architects
Loughborough Design School, LoughboroughBurwell Deakins Architects
East
Brentwood School Sixth Form Centre & Assembly Hall, EssexCottrell & Vermeulen Architecture
Royal Veterinary College Student Village, HatfieldHawkinsBrown
The Dune House, SuffolkJarmund Vigsnaes Architects & Mole Architects
The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, CambridgeStanton Williams
South West & Wessex
Private House, GloucestershireFound Associates
The Dyson Centre for Neonatal Care, BathFeilden Clegg Bradley Studios
The Holburne Museum, BathEric Parry Architects
The Triangle, SwindonGlenn Howells Architects
South
Garsington Opera Pavilion, High WycombeSnell Associates
The Shulman Auditorium, OxfordBerman Guedes Stretton
Student Accommodation, Somerville College, OxfordNiall McLaughlin Architects
South East
McLaren Production Centre, SurreyFoster + Partners
Turner Contemporary, KentDavid Chipperfield Architects
London
14 St George Street and 50 New Bond Street, London W1SEric Parry Architects
Exhibition Road, London SW7Dixon Jones
Dalling Road, LondonHayhurst and Co. in collaboration with Lucy Carmichael
Peabody Avenue, Pimlico, London SW1VHaworth Tompkins
The St. Paul’s Centre at St. Paul’s Church, Hammersmith, London W6Richard Griffiths Architects
The Hurlingham Club, Outdoor Pool, London SW6David Morley Architects
Kings Grove, London SE15Duggan Morris Architects
White Cube, Bermondsey, London SE1Casper Mueller Kneer Architects
Hackney Marshes Centre, London E9Stanton Williams
London Olympic Stadium, London E20POPULOUS
New Court, London EC4NOMA with Allies and Morrison
St. Pancras Chambers, London NW1RHWL Architects with Richard Griffiths Architects
Henrietta Barnett School, London NW11Hopkins Architects
University of the Arts London Campus, Central Saint Martins at King’s Cross. Phase 1: Granary Complex, London N1CStanton Williams Architects
9 RIBA Award buildings in the European Union
PJ Carroll’s Factory, Dundalk, IrelandScott Tallon Walker Architects
Wexford County Council Headquarters, Wexford, IrelandRobin Lee Architecture
Solid 11, Amsterdam, NetherlandsTony Fretton Architects
Las Arenas, Barcelona, SpainRogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
Bilbao Arena, Bilbao, SpainIdom UK
H27D, Constance, GermanyKraus Schoenberg Architects
maison L, Yvelines, Francearchitecturespossibles
Centre Pompidou – Metz, Metz, FranceShigeru Ban and Jean de Gastine Architects with Gumuchdjian Architects
FCN 2009, Portelle, ItalyMaria Giuseppina Grasso Cannizzo
