The winners of the 2018 have been announced.
The RIBA Silver Medal (for the best design project produced at RIBA Part 2 or equivalent) has been awarded to Sonia Magdziarz (), for 鈥楬ow to Carve a Giant鈥�. The project (tutored by Penelope Haralambidou, Michael Tite, and Keiichi Matsuda) explores the relationship that individuals and communities have with their cultural heritage.
Sonia鈥檚 proposal physically carves a Finnish folk story into the fabric of a city and reinterprets contemporary typologies such as a library, workshop, and cultural archive to question whether we can preserve and disseminate knowledge. Sonia鈥檚 new building subtly emphasises the powerful role architects play in defining the cultural heritage and identity of communities.
Commendations in the RIBA Silver Medal category were given to:
- Sam Coulton (Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL) for 鈥楲ondon Physic Gardens: A New Necropolis鈥�
- Kevin Herhusky (California Polytechnic State University) for 鈥業nfrastructures of Memory, Phygital Bodies in a Concrete Cloud鈥�
- Ruth McNickle (Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture) for 鈥楾illing the Prado: A Furrow of Re-Construction鈥�
The RIBA Bronze Medal (for the best design project produced at RIBA Part 1 or equivalent) went to Justin Bean () for 鈥楧reaming of Electric Sheep鈥�. For his project (tutored by Martin Gledhill and Frank Lyons), Justin has designed a hotel situated within an electrical substation.
Justin鈥檚 proposal explores the often uncomfortable relationship between humans and technology and questions whether that relationship should be complimentary instead of antagonistic. In science fiction, humans are often portrayed as being fascinated by machines and their role in future worlds, either relying on the machine to develop enhanced living standards or to threaten their livelihoods. Justin鈥檚 project proposes a physical space where the differences between human and artificial are no longer divergent, and the result is a resolved architectural piece that is both sophisticated and beautiful.
Commendations in the Bronze Medal category were given to:
- Alexander Wilford (University of Greenwich) for 鈥楽mithfield Lorry Depot鈥�
- Camille Bongard (Architectural Association) for 鈥楢 Choreographed Timeline, Rewriting RIBA Building Contract鈥�
- Sam Beattie (University of Nottingham) for 鈥楢 Bridge to Wellness鈥�
The RIBA Dissertation Medal was awarded to Rosemary Milne () for 鈥楽pecies of Nooks and Other Niches鈥�.
Rosie鈥檚 project looks at the obscurities and inefficiencies of the nook which has led it to become an endangered species of space, neglected in favour of efficiencies, transparencies and open-plan spaces. The dissertation examines the complex nature of the nook and emphasises its necessity and continued relevance for architectural practice and thought. The judges were unanimous in their assessment of the student as an important new talent and that a submission of this quality at undergraduate level is enormously impressive.
Commendations in the Dissertation Medal category were awarded to:
- Ethan Loo (University of Sheffield) for 鈥楻eading the Past and the Faraway: Simulation, Meaning, and Macau鈥�
- Marie-Henriette Desmour猫s (London Metropolitan University) for 鈥楾he Whole-body Seer: Blindness as Narrative, Subject and a Way of Seeing鈥�
- Mark Shtanov (University of Cambridge) for 鈥楢nother Hotel in Africa: A New Prototype for a Community-Initiated, Phased West African Hotel Project with Attached Hospitality School, in Lekki, Nigeria鈥�
The Serjeant Awards for Excellence in Drawing were presented to Camille Dunlop (RIBA Part 1, Bartlett School of Architecture) for 鈥楶ipeline Hijacking鈥� and Maria Marilia Lezou (RIBA Part 2, University of Greenwich) for 鈥楬otel Mollino: Staging Spaces of the Everyday as Heterotopias of Performance in Scenography and Architecture鈥�.
The UK office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) awarded the SOM Foundation Fellowships UK to Grey Grierson (RIBA Part 1 at Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL) for 鈥楴egotiation of States: A Crematorium and Columbarium in Hong Kong鈥� and Margaret Ndungu (RIBA Part 2 at De Montfort University) for 鈥榃ild City鈥�.
RIBA President Ben Derbyshire said:
鈥淭he breadth and scale of talent evidenced in the design proposals and writings produced by this year鈥檚 winners is truly remarkable. This is an emerging generation of skilled thinkers who are able to distil complex ideas and resolve them into sophisticated architectural proposals. They are all talents to watch.鈥�
The 2018 RIBA President鈥檚 Medals exhibition is at the RIBA in London from 5 December 2018 to 15 February 2019, before it tours throughout the UK and internationally.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. For further press information contact Abigail.Chiswell-White@riba.org 020 7307 3811
2. .
3. The RIBA President鈥檚 Medals were established in 1836 and are the RIBA鈥檚 oldest awards. Also announced at the RIBA President鈥檚 Medals ceremony were the winners of the RIBA President鈥檚 Awards for Research and the RIBA Research Medal.
4. In 2018, the RIBA President鈥檚 Medals awards attracted the highest number of entries in its history: 328 design projects and dissertations were submitted by 101 schools of architecture located in 37 countries.
5. The features all nominations made since 1998. The site includes a comprehensive visual archive of tens of thousands of images and statements produced by students, as well as photographs and films of the judging of entries, the awards ceremonies, and interviews with the winners.
6. This year鈥檚 judging panels included:
Silver Medal:
- Chair: David Gloster (RIBA Director of Education)
- Nicky Watson (RIBA Vice-President Education)
- Yeoryia Manolopoulou (architect and Professor of Architecture and Experimental Practice at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL)
- Eva Franch i Gilabert (director of the Architectural Association)
- Carol Patterson (architect, director at OMA)
Bronze Medal:
- Chair: David Gloster (RIBA Director of Education)
- Nicky Watson (RIBA Vice-President Education)
- Josep-Maria Garcia-Fuentes (architect and Senior Lecturer in architecture at Newcastle University)
- Henriette Helstrup (Director of Operations at Bjarke Ingels Group London)
- Suzanne Ewing (architect and Head of the Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture)
- Harbinder Birdi (Senior Partner at Hawkins\Brown architects)
Dissertation Medal:
- Chair: Dr Harriet Harriss (Reader in Architectural Education, Royal College of Art)
- Professor Kian Goh (UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs)
- Professor Lesley Lokko (architect, novelist, and Head of the Graduate School of Architecture at the University of Johannesburg)
- Professor Soumyen Bandyopadhyay (Head of School and Sir James Stirling Chair in Architecture at the University of Liverpool)
7. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a global professional membership body that serves its members and society in order to deliver better buildings and places, stronger communities and a sustainable environment.
