BUILDING STORIES - 2022 RIBA
SEPTEMBER 2022
On the 21st September at London's RIBA and the 4th October at the Everyman Cinema in Leeds, the architects shortlisted for the 2022 RIBA Stirling Prize will reveal the stories behind their buildings, what inspires them, and what it would mean to win the UK’s most prestigious architecture prize.
The six shortlisted projects are:
- 100 Liverpool Street, Hopkins Architects
- Forth Valley College – Falkirk Campus, Reiach and Hall Architects
- Hackney New Primary School and 333 Kingsland Road, Henley Halebrown
- Orchard Gardens, Elephant Park, Panter Hudspith Architects
- Sands End Arts and Community Centre, Mæ Architects
- The New Library, Magdalene College, Niall McLaughlin Architects
The architects behind the six shortlisted buildings will give brief presentations, followed by a panel discussion and a live Q&A with the audience. Talking on behalf of our pratice to present the New Library, Magdalene College will be Claire McMenamin and Tim Allen-Booth. You can watch the RIBA London event here.
AN OXFORD OUTING
DECEMBER 2017
Last month NMLA’s Balliol College team went on a celebratory excursion to Oxford to mark an important project milestone. We visited selected buildings by the office and by others, called at the site to observe demolition-in-progress, and finally hid from the rain for festive beverages.
All aboard the 9 o’clock train from London Marylebone. The sky is grey and the clouds are heavy.
One hour later, two taxis crawl up the hill to Ripon College. Ten excited people are deposited on its driveway.
We enter the chapel. Two people to pull the entrance door wide. Eyes up; iPhones out; pause to pose for photo.
Outside, driver’s thumbs drum-drumming against the steering wheel. Doors open; it’s time to go. Heart FM for the drive into town.
Students mill around Somerville College. Camouflaged amongst them we enter NMLA’s housing block. Up the stair tower, peeking into bedrooms and kitchens, we debate the merits of bathroom pods.
Herzog and de Meuron’s Blavatnik School of Government stands next to Somerville, glittering. Like magpies we are drawn through its doors.
On the roof terrace Oxford is laid out beneath us, dreaming spires etc., but next: lunch.
Heavier and happier, we walk to Worcester College’s Nazrin Shah Building. Heads pressed to the glass we stare greedily inside.
Later, eleven sets of PPE are donned and rainclouds assemble as we tour the site. Mud, glorious mud. Three years till ribbon-cutting.
The rain starts, the pub beckons. Cheers to Balliol!