The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the 54 winners of the 2021 RIBA National Awards for architecture, to recognise the UK’s best new buildings and provide an insight into the UK’s design and economic trends.
… Key trends…. Sensitive restoration and adaptation of existing buildings…. Investment in arts and culture…. State-of-the-art higher education facilities and schools…
RIBA writes:
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today (Thursday 9 September) announced the 54 winners of the 2021 RIBA National Awards for architecture. The awards, which have been presented since 1966, recognise the UK’s best new buildings and provide an insight into the UK’s design and economic trends.
This year’s projects showcase the extraordinary breadth and brilliance of UK architecture today. They include a church floating on an East London barge (Floating Church); Tottenham Hotspur’s brand new 60,000 seat stadium (Tottenham Hotspur’s Stadium); a house built within a steel water tower (The Water Tower); a council housing development for people displaced by HS2 (Caudale Housing Scheme); a small, cancer care centre that creates an oasis of hope and support (Maggie’ Cardiff); and a semi-permanent structure protecting one of Scotland’s architectural gems (The Hill House Box).
Key trends among this year’s award winners include:
Sensitive restoration and adaptation of existing buildings
In Bath, a 45-year-old furniture factory has been re-energised for art students (Bath Schools of Art and Design); Winchester Cathedral has undergone sensitive adaptations to aid accessibility and understanding of its medieval heritage (Winchester Cathedral South Transept Exhibition Spaces); in Milton Keynes, the MK Gallery has had a major reconfiguration to transform user experience, whilst remaining true to the original masterplan; and in Canterbury, a 19th century former warehouse has been masterfully converted into a truly modern theatre space (The Malthouse, The King’s School, Canterbury).
Investment in arts and culture
Aberdeen Art Gallery has undergone a major redevelopment to create new exhibition and education spaces and revamped back-of-house facilities; English National Ballet has a brand new facility at the Mulryan Centre for Dance to deliver world-class professional training; nestled in the heart of the Lake District, Windemere Jetty Museum provides a new home to tell the stories of boats and steam; and the new permanent exhibition space – The Story of Gardening for The Newt in Somerset – provides a unique, immersive experience where visitors learn about gardening’s impact on culture.
State-of-the-art higher education facilities and schools
Kingston University Town House combines a series of interlocking vertical volumes to provide students with dynamic study, performance and social spaces; the Clore Music Studios at New College Oxford University intelligently squeezes bespoke performance spaces into Oxford’s conservation area; Brighton College’s new School of Science and Sport merges academic and athletic facilities to break down barriers between departments; and the new International College at King’s School Canterbury disguises highly effective teaching and boarding spaces within a striking steel-clad structure to reflect the site’s industrial heritage.
