RIBA reveals UK's best buildings for 2021

The Royal Institute of British Architects has announced 54 winners of the 2021 RIBA National Awards for architecture including a floating church, the MK gallery and a mosque in Cambridge.

Awarded annually since 1966, the RIBA National Awards celebrates the best buildings in the UK.

This year's 54 winning projects were chosen from the shortlist for the 2020 RIBA Regional, RIAS, RSUA, and RSAW Awards after last year's awards were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Ranging from radical, cutting-edge new designs to clever, creative restorations that breathe new life into historic buildings, these projects illustrate the enduring importance and impact of British architecture," said RIBA president Simon Alford.

The Cambridge Mosque by Marks Barfield Architects was one of the 54 winners. Photo is by Morley von Sternberg

Included on the list are numerous educational projects, including the Centre Building at LSE by Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners and the School of Science and Sport by OMA at Brighton College.

"There are a good number of well-designed school and university buildings that are powerful investments in the future, and I am sure they will inspire young people, their teachers and communities," said Alford.

"I am also thrilled to see many of these make creative use of existing structures. Well-designed education facilities should be the rule rather than the exception – every child deserves an effective learning environment, and these projects provide rich inspiration."

Grimshaw's Bath Schools of Art and Design was one of several educational winners. Photo is by Paul Raftery

Alford also drew attention to the number of projects that adapt and extend existing buildings.

These included the extension to the MK Gallery in Milton Keynes by 6a Architects (pictured top) and Grimshaw's renovation of its former Herman Miller factory into a building for Bath Schools of Art and Design.

"When a new building is essential, we need to make sure it will last and serve the future well – so it needs to be flexible and reusable," he said. "Long life; loose fit; low energy architecture is the present and the future."

"It is therefore very encouraging to see restoration and sensitive adaptation feature so prominently this year; with many buildings acknowledging their history, the needs of the present and the potential of their dynamic future," he added.

Floating church by Denizen Works was also a winner. Photo is by Gilbert McCarragher

The 54 national winners form the longlist for the Stirling Prize – the UK's most prestigious architecture award. The Stirling Prize shortlist will be announced next week with the winner revealed on 14 October.

See the full list of winners, divided by RIBA region, below:

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East
› Cambridge Central Mosque by Marks Barfield Architects
› Imperial War Museums Paper Store by Architype
› Key Worker Housing, Eddington by Stanton Williams
› The Water Tower by Tonkin Liu

Peter Barber Architects' Peckham housing was one of the winners. Photo is by Morley von Sternberg

London
› 95 Peckham Road by Peter Barber Architects
› Blackfriars Circus by Maccreanor Lavington
› Caudale Housing Scheme Mae Architects
› Centre Building at LSE by Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners
› Centre for Creative Learning, Francis Holland School by BDP
› English National Ballet at the Mulryan Centre for Dance by Glenn Howells Architects
› Floating Church by Denizen Works
› House-within-a-House by Alma-nac
› Kingston University London – Town House by Grafton Architects
› Moore Park Mews by Stephen Taylor Architects
› North Street by Peter Barber Architects
› Royal Academy of Arts David Chipperfield Architects
› Royal College of Pathologists by Bennetts Associates
› The Ray Farringdon by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
› The Rye Apartments by Tikari Works
› The Standard by Orms
› The Student Centre, UCL by Nicholas Hare Architects
› Tiger Way by Hawkins\Brown
› Tottenham Hotspur Stadium by Populous
› Wooden Roof by Tsuruta Architects
› Zayed Centre for Research into Rare Disease in Children by Stanton Williams

Windermere Jetty Museum won one of two awards for Carmody Groarke. Photo is by Christian Richter

North East
› Lower Mountjoy Teaching and Learning Centre Durham University by FaulknerBrowns Architects

North West
› Pele Tower House by Woollacott Gilmartin Architects
› The Gables by DK-Architects
› The Oglesby Centre at Hallé St Peter's by Stephenson Hamilton Risley Studio
› Windermere Jetty Museum by Carmody Groarke

Brighton College was another winner. Photo is by Laurian Ghinitoiu

Scotland
› Aberdeen Art Gallery by Hoskins Architects
› Bayes Centre, University of Edinburgh by Bennetts Associates
› Sportscotland National Sports Training Centre Inverclyde by Reiach and Hall Architects
› The Egg Shed by Oliver Chapman Architects
› The Hill House Box by Carmody Groarke

South & South East
› Brighton College – School of Science and Sport by OMA
› Library and Study Centre St Johns College Oxford University by Wright & Wright Architects
› MK Gallery by 6a architects
› Moor's Nook by Coffey Architects
› The Clore Music Studios New College Oxford University, John McAslan + Partners
› The Dorothy Wadham Building Wadham College Oxford University, Allies and Morrison
› The King's School, Canterbury International College by Walters & Cohen Architects
› The Malthouse, The King's School Canterbury by Tim Ronalds Architects
› The Narula House by John Pardey Architects
› Walmer Castle and Gardens Learning Centre by Adam Richards Architects
› Winchester Cathedral South Transept Exhibition Spaces by Nick Cox Architects with Metaphor

Tintagel Castle Footbridge was designed by Ney & Partners and William Matthews Associates. Photo is by David Levine

South West
› Bath Schools of Art and Design by Grimshaw
› Redhill Barn by TYPE Studio
› The Story of Gardening Museum by Stonewood Design with Mark Thomas Architects and Henry Fagan Engineering
› Tintagel Castle Footbridge for English Heritage by Ney & Partners and William Matthews Associates
› Windward House by Alison Brooks Architects

Maggie's Cardiff was the only winner in Wales. Photo is by Anthony Coleman

Wales
› Maggie's Cardiff by Dow Jones Architects

West Midlands
› Jaguar Land Rover Advanced Product Creation Centre by Bennetts Associates
› Prof Lord Bhattacharyya Building University of Warwick by Cullinan Studio

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Watch a virtual fly-through of the Uncensored Library in Minecraft

This one-minute video shows how BlockWorks collaborated with has non-profit organisation Reporters Without Borders to build a virtual library to support freedom of speech.

Created as a digital home for political journalism The Uncensored Library was designed by BlockWorks – a collective that specialises in Minecraft-based architecture.

The group worked with Reporters Without Borders to create the library in the Minecraft game, which has over 145 million active players per month, as a space that can be accessed worldwide and is less heavily regulated than other mediums in countries without a restricted press.

This video shows the library rendered in the game.

Players can read articles through virtual books.

Inside the Uncensored Library, players are able to discover journalists' work that has been censored in their country of origin.

Minecraft's book-crafting function allows players to add their own writing, but books cannot be removed or destroyed.

The library was built in a neoclassical style which has often been used in the western world as a display of culture and power, referencing the ancient civilisations of Rome and Greece.

The library is housed on a floating island within the Minecraft universe.

BlockWorks aimed to subvert those meanings, instead using it to represent the power of knowledge and truth under oppressive regimes.

The project is supported by Hatice Cengiz, fiancee of the late Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as well as internationally acclaimed writers like Nguyen Van Dai and Yulia Berezovskaia.

Blockworks' other projects include a collaboration with the Guardian to create an alternate, more sustainable vision of urban living, and a five-day youth workshop with RIBA on borders.

Read more about The Uncensored Library ›

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Sarpi Office Pro table by Carlo Scarpa for Cassina

Dezeen Showroom: based on an inverted version of a popular design, the Sarpi Office Pro table by Carlo Scarpa for furniture brand Cassina is now being made available with a timber top.

Scarpa designed the Sarpi Office Pro table in 1974, borrowing from an earlier design of his, the sculptural Doge table.

The Sarpi table alludes to its predecessor with its features, but turns its recognisable base upside-down.

This inversion gives it a smaller footprint, making it suitable for office spaces of all different sizes.

It includes integrated power access and a cable slot

The Sarpi Office Pro table was originally made in glass and metal, but there is now the option of a timber top.

The tabletop also features integrated power access and a cable slot at its centre. Various electrical configurations are available.

Product: Sarpi Office Pro
Designer: Carlo Scarpa
Brand: Cassina
Contact: info@cassina.it

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MENASA – Emirati Design Platform intends to bring Emirati crafts to a global stage at Expo 2020 Dubai

Dezeen promotion: Expo 2020 Dubai's Design and Crafts Programme has launched a design platform to present more than 40 local and international designers who showcase stories from the UAE through exclusive curated collections.

MENASA – Emirati Design Platform is a core element of Expo 2020's arts and culture programme.

Running for the duration of Expo, from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, MENASA will be located next to Al Wasl Plaza, at the heart of the event.

The initiative intends to spotlight innovations in contemporary design and material use

The initiative will present the work of the 40 designers through a series of curated design collections that seek to tell stories about the UAE while spotlighting innovations in contemporary design and material use.

"The content that we are bringing to Expo through MENASA is innovative, intriguing and will surely capture the hearts and imaginations of our visitors," said Dr Hayat Shamsuddin, senior vice president, arts and culture Expo 2020 Dubai.

MENASA will also showcase Craft Stories, a series of diverse collections that tell the story of the UAE through crafts and tradition, including safeefa (palm frond weaving), talli (embroidery), sadu (bedouin weaving), gargour making (wire-crafted fish traps), pearl diving, clay and coffee making.

Expo 2020 Dubai celebrates the work of Emirati designers and craftspeople

One of the Craft Stories collections on display is 8,000 Waves: The Pearl Diving Story – a collaboration between Todomuta, a Spanish design studio, and Asateer, an Emirati design studio founded by Mohammed Al Suwaidi, who is the grandson of a pearl diver. Together, they have created a collection that includes a wall sculpture, limited-edition candle holders, and incense burners.

Crafted in stainless steel and inlaid with wave-like patterns of mother-of-pearl cut from locally farmed oyster shells, the collection tells the story of pearl diving, a practice that dates back approximately 8,000 years in the UAE.

The works will be shown alongside a series of documentaries, shot on location around the UAE, that will delve into the work of the artisans and the crafts highlighted within each collaboration.

The collections will be shown alongside a series of seven short documentaries

MENASA – Emirati Design Platform's Designer of the Week aims to show the variety of the Emirati design scene, highlighting the work of 24 designers and organisations from across the UAE, many of whom will present new collections created for MENASA.

MENASA's space at Al Wasl Plaza will feature a dramatic 13-metre display designed by Carmelo Zappulla and Rami Al Ali, which blends 3D printing with local crafts. All of the exhibited collections will be available for sale.

A wall sculpture is crafted in metal and inlaid with wave-like patterns of mother-of-pearl

"Crafts have a special, innate power to communicate a local culture, a nation, and its identity," said Samer Yamani, MENASA curator and creative director.

"Taking a poetic approach, we are using craft as a communication tool and merging it with design, new technologies, and materials to convey more stories of the UAE and to intensify the experience for our visitors through our exclusive design collections."

MENASA – Emirati Design Platform intends to bring Emirati crafts and design to the global stage

The selection of designers, artisans, and crafts organisations at MENASA – Emirati Design Platform is drawn from 11 countries.

UAE designers and organisations include Alia Bin Omair, Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts, Bil Arabi, Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, Ammar Kalo, Khalid Shafar and Tashkeel.

International designers and design brands include Estudio Campana (Brazil), Klove Studio (India), and Nicolas Jebran (Lebanon), BD Barcelona Design (Spain) and Iwan Maktabi (Lebanon).

 MENASA – Emirati Design Platform will be open daily for the duration of Expo 2020 Dubai, from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022.

More information about Expo 2020 Dubai is on its website.

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This article was written by Dezeen for Expo 2020 Dubai as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Ilse Crawford, Eyal Weizman, Mac Collins and Michael Wolff receive 2021 London Design Medals

British designer Ilse Crawford has been awarded this year's London Design Medal, with Mac Collins earning the emerging designer title.

Crawford and Collins are joined by Design Innovation winner, Israeli architect Eyal Weizman, and Lifetime Achievement recipient, British graphic designer Michael Wolff, as the four 2021 medal laureates.

The creatives will receive their medals on Monday 20 September at an awards ceremony organised by the London Design Festival at The Royal Exchange.

The 2021 London Design Medal has been awarded to Ilse Crawford

The London Design Medal's top honour is reserved for an individual "who has distinguished themselves within the industry and demonstrated consistent design excellence".

This year it went to Crawford, the founder of design practice Studioilse who also works as a teacher and creative director.

"I couldn't be more proud to win this award," she said. "London is in my DNA. I was born in Powis Square, went to school at Avondale, W11, and went to uni here too. In 2003, the same date that the London Design Festival began, I started Studioilse here in London."

Crawford's recent Braun talk explored how items such as Enzo Mari's Sedia 1 wooden chair reframe the future

Crawford recently stepped down as the head of the Man and Well-being course at Design Academy Eindhoven after working there for more than 20 years. Earlier this year, she was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE).

Last year, Crawford spoke to Dezeen during our Virtual Design Festival about her work and what the future of the design industry might look like.

Crawford is the 15th winner of the Medal, which has been awarded annually since 2007. Past winners include Es Devlin, David Adjaye, Thomas Heatherwick and, most recently, Paola Antonelli.

The Emerging Design Medal was awarded to Mac Collins

Collins has won the Emerging Design Medal, which recognises an impact made on the design scene within five or so years of graduation.

Collins, who graduated from Northumbria University in 2018, is best known for his afrofuturist chair – one of several items of his furniture that draw on his Caribbean heritage.

"It is humbling to have been awarded the Emerging Talent Medal for London Design Festival 2021," said the designer. "I was surprised to receive the news and am pleased to have had my practice recognised in this way."

"My thanks go to all those involved in the decision-making process, and to those who have supported and mentored me over the past couple of years," he added. "I intend to push my practice further forward, and this award is a hugely motivating and inspiring force."

Michael Wolff has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Medal

The Lifetime Achievement Medal was awarded to Wolff, who has spent the past six decades pushing the boundaries of graphic design as co-founder of design studio Wolff Olins.

More recently, Wolff became a patron of the Inclusive Design Challenge at the Royal College of Art, where he is also a senior fellow.

"I feel deeply honoured to have received this lifetime achievement award," he said. "Few of us got to where we are alone and so I owe this award to all of those who’ve supported me."

"I've always believed – and I continue to believe – that my best work is what I'm going to do next," Wolff continued.

Eyal Weizman has been given the Design Innovation Medal

Weizman, founding director of research group Forensic Architecture, is the recipient of this year's Design Innovation Medal for his commitment to "reinventing design and architecture as tools of restorative social justice".

"I receive this medal on behalf of Forensic Architecture and the frontline communities we work with as a recognition of our common work against racist policing in the UK and elsewhere," he said.

"As we do so we remember Mark Duggan — shot unarmed by metropolitan police officers — almost exactly 10 years ago."

The London Design Festival is taking place 18-26 September 2021 across the city. See more events taking place this month on the Dezeen Events Guide.

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