Case: 2016 RIBA Stirling Prize

case: 2016 RIBA Stirling Prize Winner

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Newport Street Gallery, the conversion of almost an entire street of listed industrial buildings in south London into a free public gallery for artist Damien Hirst’s private art collection by Caruso St John Architects, has won the coveted 2016 RIBA Stirling Prize for the UK’s best new building.

Now in its 21st year, the RIBA Stirling Prize sponsored by Almacantar, is the UK’s most prestigious architecture prize.

Newport Street Gallery involved the transformation of a street facing a railway line in Vauxhall, south London. Three listed Victorian industrial buildings, formerly carpentry and scenery painting workshops for West End theatres, have been remodelled and flanked at either end by entirely new buildings; one with a striking, spiky saw-tooth roof.

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The ground and upper floors within the interconnected five buildings are continuous, with new spiral staircases on their side, to create flexible spaces able to accommodate everything from individual works to larger shows.

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This is the first time Caruso St John architects has won the RIBA Stirling Prize; it was shortlisted for the award for Brick House, west London in 2006 and New Art Gallery Walsall in 2000.

RIBA President Jane Duncan said:

‍“With Newport Street Gallery, Damien Hirst has made an exceptional contribution to the UK’s strong history of private patronage of architecture. This project exemplifies the best of UK architecture – a highly considered and creative project that brings to life a previously-unloved pocket of the city. I am delighted to present architects Caruso St John with the 2016 RIBA Stirling Prize.”

Newport Street Gallery was chosen by the judges today from the following outstanding shortlisted entries:

• Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford by Herzog & de Meuron
• City of Glasgow College, Riverside Campus by Michael Laird Architects & Reiach and Hall Architects
• Outhouse, Gloucestershire by Loyn & Co Architects
• Trafalgar Place, Elephant and Castle, London by dRMM Architects
• Weston Library, University of Oxford by WilkinsonEyre

More information here.

House of Trace by Tsuruta Architects won the 2016 Stephen Lawrence Prize. The prize, set up in memory of Stephen Lawrence who was setting out on the road to becoming an architect before his tragic and untimely death in 1993, and supported by the Marco Goldschmied Foundation, is intended to encourage fresh architecture talent and reward the best examples of projects that have a construction budget of less than £1 million.

Westmorland Limited won the 2016 RIBA Client of the Year, supported by The Bloxham Charitable Trust. The award recognizes the role good clients play in the delivery of fine architecture.