Stirling Prize 2019 shortlist: UK's six best buildings shortlisted for national architecture prize

Six buildings, including both new homes and remodelled public spaces, have been shortlisted for this year's RIBA Stirling Prize. 
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Aneira Davies7 October 2019

A £1 billion transformation of London Bridge station and a house made almost entirely of cork are among top new British buildings vying for this year’s prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize.

The six-strong shortlist for the coveted Royal Institute of British Architects award, which recognises excellence in architecture, also includes revamped public space and new-build eco-homes.

The only building in the capital to make the final six is London Bridge station, the radical regeneration of one of the city’s busiest transport hubs. The revamp, completed last year, brought a spacious new concourse that reuses bricks from the old station arches.

Outside of the capital, a rustic stable block has been transformed into a new opera theatre, while a whisky distillery's new space features a rolling green roofscape that echoes the surrounding Scottish hills while concealing the work going on beneath.

RIBA President Ben Derbyshire says this year's shortlisted buildings are wildly different, but all show grand ambition and commitment. “What they have in common – ground-breaking innovation, extraordinary creativity and the highest-quality materials and detailing – sets them apart, rightfully earning them a chance to win the highest accolade in architecture. We must encourage their architectural ambition, innovation, bravery and skill.”

He adds: "From the way that Cork House experiments with entirely plant-based materials, to Goldsmith Street’s ultra-low energy affordable homes, each of these six buildings pushes the boundaries of architecture, exceeding what has been done before, and providing solutions to some of the most pressing challenges of our times.”

Here are the six nominees for the RIBA Stirling Prize 2019...

London Bridge Station

The £1 billion revamp of this major London terminus has resulted in a dramatic new frontage which can be admired from the outside, plus a huge 15-platform concourse bigger than the pitch at Wembley.

Completed in January last year, the project by Grimshaw Architects is the biggest railway upgrade since Victorian times.

"Recyclable": Cork House in Berkshire, by MPH Architects
David Grandorge

Cork House, Berkshire

Made almost entirely from cork, this “recyclable home” can be constructed entirely by hand and all its components can be reused or recycled.

Set in the grounds of a Grade II-listed mill, Cork House has been “designed for disassembly” and is an example of an experimental, carbon-neutral home.

Goldsmith Street, Norwich

The largest Passivhaus scheme in the UK, the 105 new homes in Goldsmith Street are energy-efficient and designed for social housing.

Architects Mikhail Riches, who won the contract to create these homes for the council, have designed a highly sustainable community around a number of streets.

The impressive design includes a children’s playground, curved walkways that act as modern “back alleys”, a wildflower garden, central garden and communal landscaped garden.

Nevill Holt Opera, Leicestershire

Designed by architects Witherford Watson Mann, Nevill Holt Opera, housed in a 17th-century stable block, is a new theatre space that opened in June last year.

Mixing the original ironstone walls of the period building with modern additions, the theatre makes the most of its intimate space and has a new rectangular roof and balcony, while theatre design experts Sound Space Vision provided the acoustics.

The Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience, Moray

The grass-covered roof of Scotland’s Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience is just one of the many unique features that make up the whisky plant’s new space.

The bold new roof is made up of 2,500 triangles of Scandinavian wood and other natural materials, and the £140 million project by London architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners was finished in May 2018.

Impressive: The Weston in Yorkshire, by Feilden Fowles Architects
Peter Cook

The Weston, Yorkshire Sculpture Park

The ambitious design of Lambeth-based architecture practice Feilden Fowles for The Weston visitor centre at Yorkshire Sculpture Park includes a new restaurant, gallery space, public foyer and shop, in keeping with the park’s natural landscape.

Impressive features of the £3.6 million build, which was completed in 2018, include a concrete saw-tooth roof and scalloped crown perched on top of the sunken building, plus tall windows that make the most of the rolling views over the park and lake beyond.

The winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize 2019 will be revealed at 9pm on October 8.