Are you a fan of red, brown, or grey bricks? And do you have a preference for buildings in north, south, or east London? These are the limited choices that the judges of this year’s RIBA Stirling prize for the best building in the country have to face. However, this year’s shortlist seems to have converged into a bland and homogeneous selection of buildings. Among the contenders are a grey-brick courtyard housing scheme in Clapham, a day center for older people in Blackheath, a redbrick castle in Somers Town, and a restoration project at the Courtauld Institute of Art. Breaking the trend is a concrete live-work block in Barking, and a terracotta teaching block for the University of Warwick. Although these are all good buildings, they represent a limited view of what the best architecture in the UK is capable of. The Stirling shortlist is compiled through an opaque selection process, and many regional winners fail to make it to the national awards, leading to a lack of diversity in the final selection. This year, impressive buildings like East Quay in Watchet and F51 in Folkestone were overlooked. Despite their unique and innovative designs, they were not deemed traditional enough for the RIBA’s national committee. The refined Courtauld project is unlikely to win due to its subtle nature and missed opportunities. Warwick’s arts faculty and the private housing in Clapham are also unremarkable, although well executed. The real contenders for the prize are Adam Khan’s housing and children’s center, Mae’s John Morden Centre, and Apparata’s House for Artists. These three buildings stand out for their unique designs and innovative approaches to architecture. Adam Khan’s addition to Somers Town is charming and expressive, Mae’s John Morden Centre creates a tranquil oasis for a retirement community, and Apparata’s House for Artists offers a glimpse into the future of adaptable and flexible housing. These buildings showcase the true value of architectural design on a limited budget, and are worthy contenders for the top architecture prize in the UK.
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