Architecture

Stirling Prize shortlist highlights Britain's best new architecture

Stirling Prize shortlist highlights Britain's best new architecture
Barrett's Grove, by Groupwork + Amin Taha, is located in London
Barrett's Grove, by Groupwork + Amin Taha, is located in London
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Barrett's Grove was designed by Groupwork + Amin Taha
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Barrett's Grove was designed by Groupwork + Amin Taha
Barrett's Grove, by Groupwork + Amin Taha, is located in London
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Barrett's Grove, by Groupwork + Amin Taha, is located in London
Barrett's Grove has 635 sq m (6,835 sq ft) of floorspace
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Barrett's Grove has 635 sq m (6,835 sq ft) of floorspace
Barrett’s Grove was completed in 2016
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Barrett’s Grove was completed in 2016
Inside Barrett's Grove
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Inside Barrett's Grove
Barrett’s Grove comprises six apartments
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Barrett’s Grove comprises six apartments
The most notable feature of Barrett’s Grove is its series of large wicker basket balconies
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The most notable feature of Barrett’s Grove is its series of large wicker basket balconies
Barrett’s Grove has an attractive brick facade
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Barrett’s Grove has an attractive brick facade
Barrett's Grove was designed by Groupwork + Amin Taha
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Barrett's Grove was designed by Groupwork + Amin Taha
Inside Barrett's Grove
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Inside Barrett's Grove
The City of Glasgow College - City Campus, was designed by Reiach & Hall Architects and Michael Laird Architects
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The City of Glasgow College - City Campus, was designed by Reiach & Hall Architects and Michael Laird Architects
The City of Glasgow College - City Campus is designed to impress with its scale and material palette
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The City of Glasgow College - City Campus is designed to impress with its scale and material palette 
Inside the City of Glasgow College - City Campus
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Inside the City of Glasgow College - City Campus
Command of the Oceans is located in Chatham, Kent
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Command of the Oceans is located in Chatham, Kent
Command of the Oceans was designed by Baynes and Mitchell Architects
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Command of the Oceans was designed by Baynes and Mitchell Architects
Command of the Oceans was designed for the Historic Dockyard in Chatham, Kent
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Command of the Oceans was designed for the Historic Dockyard in Chatham, Kent
Command of the Oceans enables visitors to experience life during the heyday of the age of sail
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Command of the Oceans enables visitors to experience life during the heyday of the age of sail
Command of the Oceans was designed by Baynes and Mitchell Architects
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Command of the Oceans was designed by Baynes and Mitchell Architects
“This project is a champion for progressive conservation, inventive re-use and adaptation of existing fabric," says RIBA's judges, regarding Command of the Oceans
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“This project is a champion for progressive conservation, inventive re-use and adaptation of existing fabric," says RIBA's judges, regarding Command of the Oceans
Command of the Oceans was designed for the Historic Dockyard in Chatham, Kent
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Command of the Oceans was designed for the Historic Dockyard in Chatham, Kent
Command of the Oceans is located in Chatham, Kent
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Command of the Oceans is located in Chatham, Kent
Command of the Oceans enables visitors to experience life during the heyday of the age of sail
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Command of the Oceans enables visitors to experience life during the heyday of the age of sail
Command of the Oceans was designed by Baynes and Mitchell Architects
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Command of the Oceans was designed by Baynes and Mitchell Architects
Hastings Pier is located in East Sussex
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Hastings Pier is located in East Sussex
Hastings Pier was designed by dRMM Architects
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Hastings Pier was designed by dRMM Architects
Hastings Pier is a response to the fire that destroyed the original Victorian pier on the site in 2010
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Hastings Pier is a response to the fire that destroyed the original Victorian pier on the site in 2010
dRMM Architects sought to create a strong sense of belonging on the pier
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dRMM Architects sought to create a strong sense of belonging on the pier
There is no building at the end of Hastings Pier – just the view
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There is no building at the end of Hastings Pier – just the view
Photography Studio for Juergen Teller is, predictably enough, a photography studio for photographer Juergen Teller
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Photography Studio for Juergen Teller is, predictably enough, a photography studio for photographer Juergen Teller 
Photography Studio for Juergen Teller is located in west London
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Photography Studio for Juergen Teller is located in west London
Photography Studio for Juergen Teller was designed by 6a architects
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Photography Studio for Juergen Teller was designed by 6a architects
Photography Studio for Juergen Teller is squeezed in a narrow awkward plot
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Photography Studio for Juergen Teller is squeezed in a narrow awkward plot
Photography Studio for Juergen Teller boasts three courtyard gardens designed by Dan Pearson
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Photography Studio for Juergen Teller boasts three courtyard gardens designed by Dan Pearson
Photography Studio for Juergen Teller's garden space breaks up the concrete
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Photography Studio for Juergen Teller's garden space breaks up the concrete
The British Museum World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre was designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
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The British Museum World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre was designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
The WCEC building is located on the north-west corner of the British Museum site in Bloomsbury, London
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The WCEC building is located on the north-west corner of the British Museum site in Bloomsbury, London
The WCEC building consists of five vertically linked pavilions (one of which is located entirely underground)
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The WCEC building consists of five vertically linked pavilions (one of which is located entirely underground)
The WCEC houses a new exhibition gallery, laboratories and conservation studios, storage, and facilities to support the Museum’s logistical requirements and loans program
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The WCEC houses a new exhibition gallery, laboratories and conservation studios, storage, and facilities to support the Museum’s logistical requirements and loans program
According to RIBA's judges, the WCEC "is the realization of an extremely complicated brief in terms of spatial challenges, technical requirements, and engineering technologies"
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According to RIBA's judges, the WCEC "is the realization of an extremely complicated brief in terms of spatial challenges, technical requirements, and engineering technologies"
The WCEC has a system of fritted glazed horizontal panels that allow controlled light into the building
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The WCEC has a system of fritted glazed horizontal panels that allow controlled light into the building
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The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the finalists for this year's Stirling Prize competition, the most prestigious award in British architecture. The six projects include a crowdfunded pier, a photographer's studio, and an eye-catching apartment building.

As was the case last year, five of the six finalists are located in southern England, with the sole exception being in Glasgow, Scotland. The entrants are perhaps lacking the wow-factor of some previous years, though you can't fault the quality of architecture on offer here.

"This year's shortlisted schemes show exceptionally creative, beautifully considered and carefully detailed buildings that have made every single penny count," says RIBA President Jane Duncan. "Commissioned at the end of the recession, they are an accolade to a creative profession at the top of its game. Each of these outstanding projects has transformed their local area and delights those who are lucky enough to visit, live, study or work in them."

We've listed the finalists below in no particular order, but head to the gallery for more on each project. The overall winner will be announced on October 31.

Hastings Pier

There is no building at the end of Hastings Pier – just the view
There is no building at the end of Hastings Pier – just the view

The original Hastings Pier opened in 1872 and its long history includes a stint used for training troops in World War II and serving as a venue hosting acts like The Rolling Stones and the Sex Pistols. Falling into disrepair, it was closed in 2008 and then suffered a fire in 2010 that pretty much destroyed it.

Following this disaster, the local community rallied around and bought the pier for a nominal sum then raised money for dRMM architects to design its successor. Clad in timber salvaged from the original pier, the new pier is an open, welcoming venue with relatively few buildings in place, encouraging visitors to enjoy the view of the sea. This one feels like it could be a winner.

The British Museum World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre

The WCEC building is located on the north-west corner of the British Museum site in Bloomsbury, London
The WCEC building is located on the north-west corner of the British Museum site in Bloomsbury, London

The British Museum World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre, by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, is located on the north-west corner of the British Museum's site in Bloomsbury, Central London. It consists of five linked pavilions, one of which is underground, and houses a new exhibition gallery, laboratories, and conservation studios, in addition to storage and logistical facilities.

The new building is a real boon for the museum and should increase its flexibility for some time to come. For example, objects that are very large can be delivered to the British Museum World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre at street level using trucks which are then taken to the lower floors for unloading using a huge platform lift – one of the largest of its kind in Europe.

Photography Studio for Juergen Teller

Photography Studio for Juergen Teller is squeezed in a narrow awkward plot
Photography Studio for Juergen Teller is squeezed in a narrow awkward plot

This photography studio for high-profile artist and photographer Juergen Teller was designed by 6a architects and is situated in a long and narrow industrial plot in west London.

It actually consists of three buildings, while three courtyard gardens by landscape designer Dan Pearson provide outdoor space and daylight. In addition, a grid of thin concrete beams supports north facing roof lights which fill the space with filtered light. The interior is dominated by concrete, which contrasts nicely with brass balustrades, timber window frames, and the greenery in the gardens.

Barrett's Grove

Barrett's Grove was designed by Groupwork + Amin Taha
Barrett's Grove was designed by Groupwork + Amin Taha

This attractive little apartment building by Groupwork + Amin Taha is located in London. Its patterned brick facade is broken up by large wicker basket balconies that offer each apartment a generous outdoor space. Inside, the 635 sq m (6,835 sq ft) building is divided into six spacious apartments, each one with plenty of light inside and tastefully finished.

City of Glasgow College – City Campus

The City of Glasgow College - City Campus is designed to impress with its scale and material palette
The City of Glasgow College - City Campus is designed to impress with its scale and material palette 

Glasgow's central, metropolitan and nautical colleges were merged into a much larger single college consisting of two buildings, bringing together facilities previously scattered around Glasgow in 11 separate buildings. The City Campus, by Reiach & Hall Architects and Michael Laird Architects, is the second building to be completed and the massive building comprises six major faculties, 300 high-tech classrooms, lecture theaters and specialist teaching facilities.

Command of the Oceans

Command of the Oceans is located in Chatham, Kent
Command of the Oceans is located in Chatham, Kent

Kent's Command of the Oceans, by Baynes and Mitchell Architects, was designed for Chatham Historic Dockyard and enables visitors to enjoy a taste of life when Britain ruled the waves with sail-powered ships. Clad in black zinc, the visitor's entrance is quite striking and visitors enter into a cathedral like hall that focuses the view towards the dockyard.

Source: RIBA

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3 comments
3 comments
ljaques
Architects should be sentenced to live in the monstrosities they build. Congrats on rebuilding the pier, though. Sadly, that's the prettiest sight in the list.
KaiserPingo
Not impressed ! Thats the best they can do ???
Saying like @ljaques.
Brian M
Wicker basket balconies, presume the cladding is also flammable to aid a fire spreading on the outside between floors!