British Architecture President calls for affordable, well-designed homes for all

A futuristic glass-viewing pod in Brighton and an ecological straw-clad office in Norwich are among the shortlisted entries which will compete to be crowned Britain’s best new building.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) unveiled 49 innovative buildings which “set the standard for good architecture today.”

Announcing the list, the body’s President called for “affordable, well-designed homes for all” in the aftermath of the Grenfell tragedy.

The overall winner of the 2017 Stirling Prize will be announced in October.

“We all deserve a well-designed, affordable home, wherever we live in the country.” RIBA President Jane Duncan

The entries include the world’s first “vertical pier”, Brighton’s striking £38m cable car ride and observational tower, which promises 26 mile views.

The futuristic i360 (photo – Paul Rafery)

“It sparked a debate amongst the jury as to what constitutes architecture and is pushing the boundaries of what architecture might be,” RIBA said of the world’s most slender tower, which has a height-to-width ratio of more than 40:1.

The £11.6m straw-clad Enterprise Centre at the University of East Anglia was hailed by the judges as a “tour de force in the exploration and use of sustainable materials” which was “also a remarkable place to work and to enjoy.”

The eco-friendly UEA Enterprise Centre (Dennis Gilbert)

Also commended was the “top-notch” transformation of Leicester Cathedral including the rediscovered tomb of Richard III, which has been “beautifully conceived and executed.”

The Richard III tomb at the renovated Leicester Cathedral (Peter Hanson)

Tate Modern’s new Blavatnik Building, previously known as Switch House, makes the shortlist, despite complaints from neighbours that its viewing deck allows visitors to spy on their appartments. The perforated chain mail façade “sets a new standard for the use of brick”.

RIBA President Jane Duncan said: “I am delighted to see such confident, innovative and ambitious architecture delivered in such challenging times.”

High-quality housing call

She added: “The lack of high quality new housing is a huge issue in the UK so I am particularly pleased to see great examples of well designed, sustainable new homes amongst our award winners.”

She cited the eco-friendly Derwenthorpe community scheme in York as a “fantastic socially and environmentally sustainable housing development.”

The Derwenthorpe community housing scheme in York (Tim Crocker)

“We all deserve a well-designed, affordable home, wherever we live in the country. I encourage other local authorities, developers and clients to look at these projects as exemplars,” Ms Duncan said.

@adamsherwin10 

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