RIBA stirling prize shortlist 2013 announced

RIBA stirling prize 2013 shortlist announced, above grafton architects university of limerick medical school campus
image © dennis gilbert

the RIBA stirling prize shortlist for 2013 has been announced and for the first time in the history of the most prestigious british architecture award, more than half the nominees have women at the helm. the shortlist also forgoes the usual heavyhitters in architecture– five of the six practices are gracing the list for the first time. the entries range from blue-gray limestone learning centers to housing blocks that create vibrant streets in the sky; however, the common thread lies in a highly considered and tectonically rich material palette, a deep understanding of the wider implications of the work and progressive movement and clarity in the built form. in the running for the year’s most exceptional buildings are:

university of limerick school of medicine by grafton architects
newhall housing by alison brooks architects
giant’s causeway visitor centre by heneghan peng architects
astley castle by witherford watson mann architects
park hill development in sheffield by hawkins/brown with studio egret west
bishop edward king chapel by niall mclaughlin architects

the winner will be announced september 28,2013 at central st. martins in london.

see the full article on grafton architects university of limerick medical school campus here
see the original designboom interview of one of grafton architect’s founders and principal shelley mcnamara here
image © dennis gilbert

newhall housing by alison brooks architects
image courtesy RIBA

newhall housing created a new typology for british suburban housing
image courtesy RIBA

concrete soffits and imposing basalt columns characterize the powerful-looking center
see more of heneghan peng’s landscape-shaping projects here
image courtesy RIBA

concrete soffits are sliced to create rooflights
image courtesy RIBA

bishop edward king chapel by niall mclaughlin architects
image courtesy RIBA

situated in the small village of cuddeston in the rural outskirts of oxfordshire, a delicate blonde wood structure creates a light-filled, all-season church to serve a theological college and small order of nuns. hand-laid cream limestone bricks created a textured volume that in grounded in historical precedent while distinguishing itself from the existing campus. 

bishop edward king chapel by niall mclaughlin architects
image courtesy RIBA

the intentions and decision making behind astley castle by witherford watcon mann architects
video © RIBA

see the full coverage of the astley castle here
image courtesy RIBA

the castle renovation is remarkable in its sensitivity
image courtesy RIBA

an ‘unloved’ area in sheffield becomes a vibrant, revitalizing block
image courtesy RIBA

the housing block is informed by the idea of ‘streets in the sky’
image courtesy RIBA