The award is being awarded for the 21st time this year by the Royal Institute of British Architects, but for the first time two buildings of the same client were shortlisted: Herzog & de Meuron's Blavatnik School of Management and Wilkinson Eyre's Weston Library were implemented for the University of Oxford. The work of Chris Wilkinson and James Eyre is the renovation of the former New Bodleian Library, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1936-1940. Among other things, a glazed mezzanine floor has been added to the historic building, opening the inner life of the library to its public areas. Also, both of these Oxford buildings would not have appeared without the help of benefactors - the Blavatnik and Garfield Weston foundations, respectively.
Another example of philanthropy, only not from merchants, but - which is unusual - of the artist was the Newport Street Gallery in London's Vauxhall district. Its architects Caruso St John designed for Damien Hirst: his art collection and temporary exhibitions located there are available to the public free of charge. The architects, in fact, remodeled an entire street: two new buildings flank three historic buildings in the center: they originally served as stage production workshops for West End theaters.
The Riverside Campus of Glasgow City College, designed by Michael Laird Architects and Reiach and Hall Architects, is part of a multi-year project to transform a former industrial estate on the banks of the Clyde River into a mixed-development area. The large educational complex includes two important public areas - a cloister garden and a large lobby.
The Outhouse in Dean Woods on the Gloucestershire / Wales border, by Loyn & Co Architects for the four artists, is the first private home on the Stirling Prize shortlisted since 2001. Taking into account the uniqueness of the natural landscape, the authors of the project have neatly entered it into the relief, placing part of the premises under the ground. At the same time, one of the main qualities of the building is the views that open from there.
The Trafalgar Place residential complex in London is the first phase of new development on the site of the demolished Haygate massif, the famous example of 1970s housing with all its pros and cons. DRMM architects erected 235-unit buildings among preserved trees and extensive landscaping, which is especially valuable in the city center (this is the Elephant and Castle area). Eight types of bricks were used for the facades, each of which refers to a particular building in the neighborhood.
Blavatnik School of Management, University of Oxford
Herzog & de Meuron
Weston Library, Oxford University
WilkinsonEyre
Glasgow City College Riverside Campus
Michael Laird Architects and Reiach and Hall Architects
Newport Street Gallery in London
Caruso St John Architects
Outhouse House in Gloucestershire
Loyn & Co Architects
Residential complex Trafalgar Place in London
dRMM Architects
