The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is once again on the lookout for potential RIBA Stirling Prize winners. Following on from the success of David Chipperfield's Museum of Modern Literature in Germany in October, the search has begun to find the best examples of new British architecture. Practices up and down the country are urged to submit projects of architectural excellence into the 2008 RIBA Awards scheme.
The RIBA awards programme, supported by The Architects' Journal, is largely unchanged following the successful introduction of a new pyramid structure in 2007. RIBA Awards are judged and presented locally, with the RIBA National Awards judged and presented nationally. The next level is the RIBA National Awards which are judged and presented nationally. The RIBA Stirling Prize shortlist is selected following further visits to winners of the RIBA Awards and of RIBA European Awards for buildings in the rest of the EU. From 2008, the RIBA Stirling Prize goes back to its roots as a 'built or designed in Britain' prize, for which only RIBA Award-winning buildings in the UK by RIBA Chartered members and International Fellows, OR buildings in the rest of the EU by practices whose principal office is in the UK, will be considered. The move will strengthen the British connection with the prize while maintaining the competitive edge that buildings in Europe have always provided. Eligibility for all awards up to Stirling remains unchanged.
Now in its third year, the Lubetkin Prize shortlist is drawn from winners of RIBA International Awards for buildings in the rest of the world. Supported by The Architectural Review, the Lubetkin Prize will be presented to the most outstanding work of architecture outside the UK and the European Union by an RIBA member.
The Lubetkin Prize will be judged by a jury which will visit the buildings on a shortlist drawn from winners of the RIBA International Awards.
The RIBA Awards will be presented at local ceremonies; the RIBA National, European and International Awards, the Lubetkin Prize and the award for RIBA Client of the Year, will be presented at a dinner to be held at the Hilton Hotel, London on 27 June 2008. Winners of RIBA National Awards and RIBA European Awards will be eligible for the RIBA Stirling Prize (given the above proviso) and for the Stephen Lawrence Prize. All RIBA Award winners will be eligible for a series of special awards to be presented at the RIBA Stirling Prize Dinner in Liverpool on 11 October 2008.
Once again the RIBA's commitment to sustainable architecture is reflected in its awards programme, with all entries requiring a description of the building's performance in use with particular reference to energy use. Energy performance statistics, signed by an environmental engineer, are highly desirable for all entries and mandatory for those projects with a contract value over £1 million.
Tony Chapman, RIBA Head of Awards, said: "The new pyramid structure for the RIBA's Awards better reflects the diversity of architectural practice by its members. The RIBA Awards reward the best buildings throughout the regions and nations of the UK, allowing for responses to local contexts of style, scale and materials, while the RIBA National Awards compare schemes nationally and by building type. From these a shortlist will be derived for the RIBA Stirling Prize in association with The Architects' Journal. These important changes, together with the demand for energy performance figures, mean that the awards programme will continue to set ever higher standards for architecture for its members and to promote the results to the public."
Any building by an RIBA Chartered member or RIBA International Fellow is eligible to enter all awards. Buildings must be completed and occupied between the dates of 1 January 2006 and 21 February 2008. The closing date for entries is at 17.00 on 21 February 2008.
Entry forms can be downloaded from http://www.architecture.com/awards