Winners of the RIBA National Awards 2024 for architecture are announced
Projects in East Anglia are among the 26 winners of the RIBA National Awards 2024 for architecture.
The WongAvery, a new music practice and performance space for Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and the Dining Hall, at Homerton College, Cambridge, have both been selected.
The awards, presented since 1966, recognise the best of UK architecture and provide insight into the country’s design and social trends.
Winning projects stretch across the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland and Scotland.
The varied projects range in scale, from an urban masterplan (King’s Cross) and a new transport network (the Elizabeth Line) to a house nestled in the Cornish landscape.
This year’s awards feature inspiring examples of existing buildings and structures that have been given a new lease of life thanks to intelligent designs, developed by working closely with clients and local communities.
Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings, for example, opened in the 18th century and widely regarded as the “grandparent of skyscrapers” has now been converted for multiple different uses.
In London, the world-renowned Battersea Power Station has been preserved for the city’s skyline and reimagined as a new work and leisure destination along the River Thames.
While creating new buildings, the projects included in the National Awards 2024 also demonstrate how thoughtful and appropriate construction and a considered approach to material selection can make a valuable impact on the success of any scheme.
The Dining Hall, for example, encompasses timber but is also clad in ceramic tiles, drawing inspiration from the college’s early 20th century Arts and Crafts buildings.
The 26 projects were selected by the expert jury, who visited all shortlisted projects.
RIBA president Muyiwa Oki says: “The sheer breadth of work is quite astounding, with large infrastructure schemes sitting alongside high-quality detailed smaller projects.
“This is a testament to the standard of architecture in the UK right now, as we maintain a sense of ambition and consider how design must evolve to meet future needs.”
RIBA Awards Group 2024 chair, Simon Henley, adds: “We’re delighted to award these 26 projects across the UK and recognise their exceptional quality and the hard work of teams behind them.
“From projects engaged with technology, community, visual arts to hands-on making, these national winners reflect the breadth of contemporary practice and how architecture itself is an inclusive medium that addresses many of society’s challenges.”