Rogers Stirk Harbour, Witherford Watson Mann and Feilden Fowles make the Sterling Prize shortlist with culture and attractions schemes
by Tom Walker | 19 Jul 2019
Three out of the six projects on this year's Stirling Prize shortlist are culture, attractions and leisure-related, underlining the sector's reputation for producing innovative architecture.
The Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience in Scotland (by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners), The Nevill Holt Opera in Leicestershire (Witherford Watson Mann Architects) and The Weston, Yorkshire Sculpture Park (Feilden Fowles Architects) have all been chosen.
They're joined by Cork House, Goldsmith Street and London Bridge Station, completing the six-strong list.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Stirling Prize, is awarded to the architect of the building thought to be the most significant of the year for the evolution of architecture and the built environment.
Criteria include “design vision, innovation and originality, capacity to stimulate engage and delight occupants and visitors, accessibility and sustainability, how fit the building is for its purpose and the level of client satisfaction.”
Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience
The £140m (US$187m, €160m) project, which took three and a half years to build, features an undulating, meadow-covered roof described as “one of the most complicated timber structures in the world”
Comprising 1,800 single beams, 2,500 different roof elements, and 380,000 individual components, almost none of which are equal or the same, the building was designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and engineered by Arup.
The Nevill Holt Opera
The purpose-built, 400-seat theatre is hidden within a 17th century stable block on a Grade I-listed estate and replaces 10 years of temporary tent structures for the Neville Holt Opera festival.
The theatre is only fully revealed upon entering the space and has been designed to reflect its historic surroundings using natural materials.
The Weston, Yorkshire Sculpture Park
The £3.8m (US$4.7m, €4.4m) visitor centre is located at one of northern England’s most popular tourist attractions. The outdoor sculpture park houses works by artists such as Henry Moore.
The low-rise building comprises a 140sq m (1,500sq ft) restaurant, a 125sq m (1,340sq ft) gallery space, an 80sq m (860sq ft) public foyer and a 50sq m (538sq ft) shop.
Designed to create a warm, intimate feel, the rooms are smaller scale, with some heated by log burners.
Rogers Stirk Harbour Witherford Watson Mann Feilden Fowles Stirling Prize
Neville Holt Opera: Witherford Watson Mann Architects have created the theatre in board marked concrete, held away from the stable block walls by a compacted hoggin edge Credit: Hélène Binet
Neville Holt Opera: Elegant bronze coloured cruciform columns support the dress circle above Credit: Hélène Binet
Neville Holt Opera: The new building has been inserted into the stable yard within the stable block at Nevill Holt Hall Credit: Hélène Binet
Neville Holt Opera: There is no formal foyer to the opera - the walled gardens perform this role Credit: Manuela Barczewski
The Weston: Inside the building, Feilden Fowles has kept finishes simple to create a domestic feel and scale Credit: Peter Cook
The Weston: The tones of the timber and the lime plaster have created a building with a warm, intimate feel Credit: Peter Cook
The Weston: The building was designed to have as small an impact on the sculpture park as possible Credit: Peter Cook
The Weston: The visitor centre's walls are constructed from layered pigmented concrete Credit: Peter Cook
The Macalan: A modular approach to the facilities means additional still rooms can be opened as required Credit: Joas Souza
The Macalan: The visitor experience progresses through a sequence of spaces that follow the production story of the whisky Credit: Joas Souza
The Macalan: The distillery takes its cues from ancient Scottish earthworks. The undulating roof is planted with a Scottish wildflower meadow and rises and falls over the production cells beneath Credit: Mark Power
The Macalan: The new distillery and visitor centre is located within the estate of Easter Elchies House. Credit: Mark Power
19 Jul 2018
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Three out of the six projects on this year's Stirling Prize shortlist are culture, attractions and leisure-related, underlining the sector's reputation for producing innovative architecture. The Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience in Scotland (by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners), The Nevill Holt Opera in Leicestershire (Witherford Watson Mann Architects) and The Weston, Yorkshire Sculpture Park (Feilden Fowles Architects) have all been chosen. They're joined by Cork House, Goldsmith Street and
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"Culture is the beating heart of this project"
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