Results of the RIBA International Awards 2008
RIBA International Awards is an award for outstanding works by architects who are RIBA members, realized anywhere in the world. This year, five remarkable buildings were awarded. One of the awarded buildings will subsequently receive the Lubetkin Prize. This year's laureate will be announced during the ceremonial presentation of the RIBA International Awards on June 27.
Akron Art Museum, Ohio, USA
Author: COOP HIMMELB(L)AU
The former Pony Express building from 1899 has been connected to a new structure with a glass neck, and above this complex, a cantilevered structure has been installed. This has created a local icon, bringing a new identity to the post-industrial city. The glazed part is a favored motif for Coop Himmelb(l)au, usually referred to by them as "the crystal." Here it serves not only as a connection but also as a gathering space for 1,800 people. The museum is also conceived as an entertainment center in today's context.
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Casa Kike, Cahuita, Costa Rica
Author: Gianni Botsford Architects
The building consists of two volumes connected by a bridge with glazed front facades. It is a small structure in which the authors managed to maintain remarkable simplicity. The house is built on 1.2 m high pillars made of very hard wood, dense enough that it does not float on water and is resistant to termites. The load-bearing structure itself forms the basis for a library of 17,000 volumes.
In Costa Rica, great emphasis is placed on nature conservation, to the extent that without state consent, it is impossible to cut down even a dead pine tree. The construction of the house was thus very complicated due to the necessary permits, and at one point was even paused for three weeks while waiting for a 10-meter roof beam.
> More information
Contemporary Museum, Denver, USA
Author: Adjaye Associates
The brief was to design an interesting museum building that would be environmentally friendly and that would not exceed a very strict budget of $16.3 million. The authors succeeded in this and an additional building emerged which somewhat stands out from the current trend in museum design, which often results in buildings more resembling billboards than galleries.
In both the interior and exterior of the building, there are 20,000 m² of exhibition space dedicated exclusively to temporary exhibitions. The design of a gallery for temporary exhibits is always a challenging task for the architect since it is unclear what will be exhibited inside. Boring spaces that create a neutral background for exhibits usually result. However, David Adjaye plays with black and white orthogonal spaces with wooden cladding that enhance the experience of the art. The interiors are not monotonous and are adapted to different media. Attention was also paid to working with lighting, which has a particular character in the area where Denver is located. On the roof of the building is the "Idea Box," where attractions are available through which children learn to perceive art.
The double-layer transparent facade is made of glass panels, with the outer layer being grey and the inner one sandblasted, with thermal polypropylene insulation in between.
> More information
Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, Toronto, Canada
Author: Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects
The Gardiner is part of the cultural district in Toronto, which has undergone significant transformation in the last decade. Nearby is the Royal Ontario Museum expanded by Daniel Libeskind and the Royal Conservatory of Music.
The original ceramics museum was built in 1983 according to the design of Keith Wagland, who planned its possible expansion in the future. Now, 14,000 m² of new exhibition spaces for large exhibits, storage, and additional activity areas have been created above it. The existing building was renovated according to the current needs of the museum, where a crucial step was the removal of the dominant staircase from the entrance hall, allowing for a variety of new spatial solutions.
Both the original and new building have been unified with creamy-colored limestone cladding, large glazed openings, and black granite pillars.
> More information
New British High Commission, Kampala, Uganda
Author: Cullum & Nightingale Architects
Instead of designing a typical compact and closed building for embassies, the authors were inspired by local rural architecture and then tried to adapt it for the sophisticated needs of the embassy. The buildings surround a courtyard and create an interesting space inside with concrete columns that transition into a branched white steel structure.
Due to security requirements, unfortunately, the realized design lost some of its planned openness. Additionally, air conditioning was installed in the buildings instead of natural ventilation, contrary to original expectations. Nevertheless, the result is admirable considering the conditions in which the construction took place.
> More information
In addition to the RIBA International Awards, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) awards several other prizes. The prestigious Royal Gold Medal is awarded for an exceptional influence in the field of architecture, with last year's laureate being Edward Cullinan. Authors of the best buildings compete annually for the Stirling Prize. Last year it was awarded to the Museum of Modern Literature in Marbach, Germany, by David Chipperfield. Outstanding work by RIBA members in the EU outside the UK is recognized with the RIBA European Award, while work in the UK has the opportunity to receive the RIBA Award, with the best of them garnering RIBA National Awards. As if that weren't enough, there are also several other awards for students, builders, or authors of sustainable buildings.
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Author: COOP HIMMELB(L)AU
The former Pony Express building from 1899 has been connected to a new structure with a glass neck, and above this complex, a cantilevered structure has been installed. This has created a local icon, bringing a new identity to the post-industrial city. The glazed part is a favored motif for Coop Himmelb(l)au, usually referred to by them as "the crystal." Here it serves not only as a connection but also as a gathering space for 1,800 people. The museum is also conceived as an entertainment center in today's context.
> More information
 |
Author: Gianni Botsford Architects
The building consists of two volumes connected by a bridge with glazed front facades. It is a small structure in which the authors managed to maintain remarkable simplicity. The house is built on 1.2 m high pillars made of very hard wood, dense enough that it does not float on water and is resistant to termites. The load-bearing structure itself forms the basis for a library of 17,000 volumes.
In Costa Rica, great emphasis is placed on nature conservation, to the extent that without state consent, it is impossible to cut down even a dead pine tree. The construction of the house was thus very complicated due to the necessary permits, and at one point was even paused for three weeks while waiting for a 10-meter roof beam.
> More information
 |
Author: Adjaye Associates
The brief was to design an interesting museum building that would be environmentally friendly and that would not exceed a very strict budget of $16.3 million. The authors succeeded in this and an additional building emerged which somewhat stands out from the current trend in museum design, which often results in buildings more resembling billboards than galleries.
In both the interior and exterior of the building, there are 20,000 m² of exhibition space dedicated exclusively to temporary exhibitions. The design of a gallery for temporary exhibits is always a challenging task for the architect since it is unclear what will be exhibited inside. Boring spaces that create a neutral background for exhibits usually result. However, David Adjaye plays with black and white orthogonal spaces with wooden cladding that enhance the experience of the art. The interiors are not monotonous and are adapted to different media. Attention was also paid to working with lighting, which has a particular character in the area where Denver is located. On the roof of the building is the "Idea Box," where attractions are available through which children learn to perceive art.
The double-layer transparent facade is made of glass panels, with the outer layer being grey and the inner one sandblasted, with thermal polypropylene insulation in between.
> More information
 |
Author: Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects
The Gardiner is part of the cultural district in Toronto, which has undergone significant transformation in the last decade. Nearby is the Royal Ontario Museum expanded by Daniel Libeskind and the Royal Conservatory of Music.
The original ceramics museum was built in 1983 according to the design of Keith Wagland, who planned its possible expansion in the future. Now, 14,000 m² of new exhibition spaces for large exhibits, storage, and additional activity areas have been created above it. The existing building was renovated according to the current needs of the museum, where a crucial step was the removal of the dominant staircase from the entrance hall, allowing for a variety of new spatial solutions.
Both the original and new building have been unified with creamy-colored limestone cladding, large glazed openings, and black granite pillars.
> More information
 |
Author: Cullum & Nightingale Architects
Instead of designing a typical compact and closed building for embassies, the authors were inspired by local rural architecture and then tried to adapt it for the sophisticated needs of the embassy. The buildings surround a courtyard and create an interesting space inside with concrete columns that transition into a branched white steel structure.
Due to security requirements, unfortunately, the realized design lost some of its planned openness. Additionally, air conditioning was installed in the buildings instead of natural ventilation, contrary to original expectations. Nevertheless, the result is admirable considering the conditions in which the construction took place.
> More information
In addition to the RIBA International Awards, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) awards several other prizes. The prestigious Royal Gold Medal is awarded for an exceptional influence in the field of architecture, with last year's laureate being Edward Cullinan. Authors of the best buildings compete annually for the Stirling Prize. Last year it was awarded to the Museum of Modern Literature in Marbach, Germany, by David Chipperfield. Outstanding work by RIBA members in the EU outside the UK is recognized with the RIBA European Award, while work in the UK has the opportunity to receive the RIBA Award, with the best of them garnering RIBA National Awards. As if that weren't enough, there are also several other awards for students, builders, or authors of sustainable buildings.
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