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Writer's pictureAnnelise Maynard

Leeds Welcomes The RIBA Stirling Prize 2024: A Showcase of Architectural Ingenuity


Celebrating Innovations that Transform Communities and Inspire Future Investments

This past Thursday, the six shortlisted contenders for the 2024 RIBA Stirling Prize, the most prestigious architecture award in the UK, gathered to present their projects at The Everyman in The Trinity Centre. The RIBA Stirling Stories: North provided the city of Leeds with an opportunity to hear first-hand the personal stories and design initiatives behind these remarkable architectural projects. As is tradition, six projects completed last year were selected, each having been tested by the public over the past twelve months.


Featuring notable schemes such as the Elizabeth Line and the King’s Cross Masterplan, RIBA President Muyiwa Oki emphasised that this year's shortlisted selection highlights “the ingenuity of architecture today.” With a focus on designing for the everyday person, the nominations demonstrate commitment to a social purpose and mobility at all scales in architecture. Among the nominees, Clementine Blakemore and Al-Jawad Pike received their first nominations, while seasoned contenders like Grimshaw and Jamie Fobert Architects return, having previously been recognised for projects such as London Bridge in 2019 and Tate St Ives in 2018.


The winner of the 2024 Stirling Prize will be announced later today (Wednesday, 16th October) at The Roundhouse in London.


Chowdhury Walk, London – Al-Jawad Pike:

New on the Block: Rewriting the rules of social housing:

Repurposing a former garage site, Chowdhury Walk is an ambitiously designed housing project in Clapton, East London, comprising eleven homes, of which seven are council-rent properties intended for local people. The development is named in honour of Abdul Chowdhury, a beloved local frontline NHS doctor who tragically passed away from COVID-19 in 2020. His legacy of community care can be seen in the project’s design, which fosters a sense of neighbourly togetherness. Faced with spatial limitations, the architects at Al-Jawad Pike worked around the site’s small scale by challenging the traditional blueprint of social housing. They introduced a repetitive two-storey terraced format, maximising the site’s footprint while offering a more intimate and human-scaled streetscape. Inspired by the site's history, the statement port-hole windows reference the circular details in the site’s original boundary wall, while also providing privacy – addressing concerns from neighbours about the new site overlooking existing gardens. The dynamic sightlines of the staggered façade are striking, but perhaps more impressive is how this project has revitalised an unused space, delivering essential housing, establishing a new pedestrian route for school runs and cyclists, and cultivating a strong sense of community among residents.

 

King’s Cross Masterplan, London – Allies and Morrison and Porphyrios Associates:

Spaces Between: Mastering the Art of Urban Living:

The King’s Cross Masterplan stands as one of Europe’s largest and most ambitious urban regeneration projects, spanning 27 hectares, with 10 hectares dedicated to the public realm. Encompassing 50 buildings, 20 streets, and 10 new squares and parks, the site is anchored around two of the busiest transport hubs in the UK – King’s Cross and St Pancras. Once a thriving centre of Victorian industry, the area had become mostly derelict and deprived by the late 20th century. The masterplan’s architects drew heavily on the site’s industrial legacy, honouring the key historic structures from the 1800s while weaving them into a cohesive urban plan that breathes new life into the area. Allies and Morrison and Porphyrios Associates have transformed this once undesirable and dilapidated corner of London into a thriving, integral part of the city’s identity, effortlessly blending architectural heritage with the future needs of an ever-changing cityscape. Graham Morrison likened the project to an Airfix model kit, emphasising how this scheme was composed of many individual parts, but often the negative space – the areas between, beneath and around the structures – play a more vital role in shaping pedestrian experience than the buildings themselves. This focus on activating underutilised public spaces has been a great success, with the project winning the People’s Poll Award yesterday, a testament to its innovative approach to urban planning.

 

Wraxall Yard, Dorset – Clementine Blakemore Architects:

Accessibility: a design principle, not a limitation:

A haven for accessible experience, Wraxall Yard is a former dairy farm nestled in the picturesque countryside of Dorset that has been renovated into holiday accommodation for individuals with a range of disabilities. It also serves as a community space and a small educational farm. Motivated by the client’s personal experience with his mother’s multiple sclerosis and the challenges they faced both at home and while holidaying, the project architect designed an inclusive retreat that connects all visitors to nature. Although the project is at a different scale to the other nominations, the site’s quaint and idyllic setting is equally pioneering, hoping to challenge the institutionalised approach to accessible accommodation. Clementine Blakemore firmly believes that accessibility shouldn’t be viewed as a “hindrance or a compromise architects have to make”. Blakemore’s design preserves the barns’ original character with the lime-mortared brickwork and timber trusses and mullions, all skilfully crafted by local craftsmen, while seamlessly incorporating accessible features like a discreetly integrated lifting hoist connected to a timber beam. Outside, the courtyard has been purposefully landscaped to create enclosed and intimate spaces, filtering views through informal paths lined with trees and shrubbery. These thoughtful details exemplify the meticulous care and attention that define every aspect of this project.

 

The Elizabeth Line, London – Grimshaw, Maynard, Equation and AtkinsRéalis:

Transport “tour-de-force”:

Spanning 100 kilometres from Reading to Abbey Wood, the Elizabeth Line connects East to West London and beyond, with each station uniquely designed by different architectural teams. The line-wide design present in all stations, led by Grimshaw, Maynard, Equation and AtkinsRéalis, features generous spaces connected by perforated concrete cladding that flows down to platforms twice the typical length. Neill McClements of Grimshaw, compared the intricate network of tunnels to a system of plumbing, carefully arranged to ensure that people move effortlessly, like water, from one end of the station to the other. The extensive scale and complexity of equipment – such as lighting, CCTV cameras and the public address system – have been fully integrated into the platform screens and signage totems, enhancing clarity within the environment. With a consistent line-wide identity and a focus on user experience for all, this new addition to the TFL family offers complete accessibility and a smoother, more enjoyable journey for all passengers. In addition to the line increasing the capacity of London’s underground railway network by 10%, the Elizabeth Line is also estimated to be carbon neutral in 13 years, solidifying its place as one of the UK’s most sustainable infrastructure projects. This benchmark project, completed over 13 years and serving 780,000 passengers daily, has ushered public transport in the capital into a new era that should, hopefully, encourage investment in more transport projects that the country so desperately needs.

 

Park Hill Phase 2, Sheffield – Mikhail Riches Architects:

Concrete Regeneration: Sheffield’s Streets in the Sky:

Overlooking Sheffield City Centre, Park Hill Estate, built in 1961, was the first of four “Streets in the Sky” projects built by Sheffield City Council and remains the only one still standing today. Following the success of Phase 1, Mikhail Riches took on the next stage of redevelopment for Europe’s largest Grade II listed building, comprising 195 flats and 2,000 square metres of commercial space. This blend of residential, commercial, and retail spaces aims to revive the strong sense of community that Park Hill was once known for. Taking a subtler approach than the first phase, Riches embraced an “if it works, keep it” philosophy, restoring the ageing exterior to its former glory while retrofitting the interiors to meet modern living standards. Recognising the residents’ desire for individuality – evident in painted balcony reveals and graffitied declarations of love – the architects embraced this spirit, incorporating different coloured doorways, full-height glazing on front doors and unique geometric doormats for each flat. This impressive redevelopment has not only revitalised the community but also reshaped the narrative surrounding this Brutalist icon, shedding its once negative reputation.

 

National Portrait Gallery, London – Jamie Fobert Architects and Purcell:

Breathing life into a historical institution:

The Inspiring People project has reimagined The National Portrait Gallery – originally designed by Ewan Christian in 1896 – by introducing a new North/South entrance sequence, additional galleries and a new learning centre. Pippa Nissen, Director at Nissen Richards Studio, reflected that the project represents “a dialogue between the building’s past and its future”, complimenting the original architecture while amplifying the stories of people often overlooked in British History. The new entrance features three four-metre bronze doors adorned with Tracey Emin’s hand-drawn etchings of 45 women, replacing existing windows and playfully contrasting the male figures in the architectural elevation above. By uncovering unused spaces and reopening boarded-up windows, the design team has activated these areas into engaging public zones, both within and outside the gallery. These spaces have been added not as places to pass through, but as inviting spots to pause, sit, and engage in conversation with friends. The project’s goal to “decolonise the building and tell new stories” (Fobert) has been effectively realised through a bold infusion of colour, the considered rehanging of artworks, and the addition of welcoming busts of diverse cultural and historical figures at the entrance. This scheme signals a significant shift in the elitist art world, welcoming a diverse audience to engage with art from across the world.

 

As the Stirling Prize 2024 winner is set to be unveiled later today, the shortlisted projects stand as a testament to the transformative power of architecture, showcasing innovative designs that prioritise community, accessibility, and sustainability. Each nominee not only reflects a commitment to enriching the cultural landscape of our nation but also paves the way for a more inclusive and socially conscious future in the built environment.


Words & Images by Annelise Maynard she/her


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