Five Non-Olympic Projects Make the Stirling Prize Shortlist
Though Populous’s London 2012 Olympic Stadium is receiving the lion’s share of the coverage, some observers are betting on one of the other five shortlisted projects to win the Stirling Prize.
The Hepworth Wakefield is located in Yorkshire and designed by D…
The Hepworth Wakefield is located in Yorkshire and designed by David Chipperfield Architects. The odds are stacked in this buildings favor to win, given this is the firm's eighth time being shortlisted for the prize. The firm won in 2007 for the Museum of Modern Literature located in Marbach, Germany.
Iwan Baan
Inside this trapezoidal building, the rooms flow together, immit…
Inside this trapezoidal building, the rooms flow together, immitating the river that runs just outside the walls, helping to heat and cool the gallery.
Iwan Baan
The people at the Royal Institute of British Architects describe…
The people at the Royal Institute of British Architects describe the building's concrete exterior as "dusky mauve." The hue helps to soften the structure's harsh angles, allowing the building to appear both natural and random at the same time.
Dennis Gilbert
In playing to the theatre's domestic surroundings, Dublin-based …
In playing to the theatre's domestic surroundings, Dublin-based firm O'Donnell + Tuomey chose to use the distinctive red 'Belfast brick' both on the interior and exterior of the Lyric Theatre. The theatre is one of the few public buildings nestled on a street tightly-knit houses.
Dennis Gilbert
Large glass windows show off the river just outside the theatre….
Large glass windows show off the river just outside the theatre. The architects had to work around both the river and the site's steep gradient.
Dennis Gilbert
This auditorium shied away from symmetrical seating and instead …
This auditorium shied away from symmetrical seating and instead twisted it 'like the crease of a hand.' The unorthodox seating pattern gives the audience a renewed perspective and enhances acoustics.
Charlie Koolhaas
Rem Koolhaas's first of two buildings on this year's shortlist i…
Rem Koolhaas's first of two buildings on this year's shortlist is Maggie's Centre located in Gartnavel, Glasgow. The building, a cancer center, is shaped like a doughnut with a courtyard in the middle.
Philippe Ruault
The lush, green setting offers patients peaceful views from ever…
The lush, green setting offers patients peaceful views from every angle.
Charlie Koolhaas
Despite all the glass, there are several options for patients se…
Despite all the glass, there are several options for patients seeking privacy, such as closed-off counseling rooms and secluded nooks for alone time.
Philippe Ruault
The new headquarters pays homage to its holy neighbors by openin…
The new headquarters pays homage to its holy neighbors by opening up sight lines to the church. Passerby can now take in views of the nearby St Stephen Walbrook church when strolling through the covered entrace square.
Philippe Ruault
The Rothschild's Bank, now standing 15-stories high, has undergo…
The Rothschild's Bank, now standing 15-stories high, has undergone multiple remodels since it was first erected in 1809. The newest building, designed by Rem Koolhaas's firm OMA, is a glass and steel structure.
Philippe Ruault
Despite trying to remain anonymous, it's no secret that the Roth…
Despite trying to remain anonymous, it's no secret that the Rothschild family donates pieces of its extensive art collection to museusms on occasion. Some of that art is reflected in the New Court redesign, which is part office and part museum.
Hufton+Crow
The Sainsbury Laboratory by Stanton Williams is a botanic resear…
The Sainsbury Laboratory by Stanton Williams is a botanic research center for the University of Cambridge set within a botanical garden.
Hufton+Crow
The building is shaped like an "L" to offer scientests…
The building is shaped like an "L" to offer scientests views of the outside while working within the sterile laboratory setting.
Hufton+Crow
Photovoltair panels and extensive natural lighting helped the hi…
Photovoltair panels and extensive natural lighting helped the high-energy laboratory a BREEAM excellent rating.
Remember a London before the Olympics? It’s hard to imagine now, but it existed. Architects have been hard at work in the UK all year, and now six firms’ efforts are paying off with spots on the Royal Institute of British Architects’ Stirling Prize shortlist. In addition to Populous’s Olympic Stadium, these five projects buildings are in the running:
1. The Hepworth Wakefield,Yorkshire by David Chipperfield Architects 2. The Lyric Theatre,Belfast by O’Donnell + Tuomey 3. Maggie’s Centre, Gartnavel, Glasgow by OMA 4. New Court, London by OMA with Allies and Morrison 5. Sainsbury Laboratory, Cambridge by Stanton Williams
British bookmaker William Hill puts the chips on the Hepworth Wakefield, with a three-to-one chance of winning. Not far behind in Hill’s estimation are the Lyric Theatre and the New Court, both at fourto-one odds. The Guardian’s Rowan Moore says he’s betting on it coming down to the stadium (which William Hills gives a five-to-one chance) versus David Chipperfield Architects’ Hepworth Wakefield, with the stadium taking gold. Maggie’s Centre and the Sainsbury Laboratory bring up the rear with Hill’s putting them at nine-to-two and seven-to-two odds, respectively.
The winner will be announced Oct. 13, well after the Olympic torch reaches its resting point.
