Five architectural projects in Oxfordshire have been awarded RIBA South Awards, including the Library and Study Centre at St John’s College in Oxford.
The Royal Institute of British Architects regional awards see entrants from across the country enter, with hopes of being recognised as making ‘significant contributions’ to architecture.
The winning projects in Oxfordshire were part of 13 projects selected by an expert jury in the south. The jury visited all 19 shortlisted projects before reaching their decision.
Debbie Dance, director of Oxford Preservation Society (OTP), said: “We are very much about keeping the best of the old and encouraging the best of the new.
“We are so lucky in Oxford that we have got so many good new buildings that go up which we hope will stand the test of time. We already see a number of buildings which were built in the twentieth century become listed because they are such good examples of buildings of their time.
“Who knows which of these are the listed buildings of the future?”
She added: “The new buildings are a continuum of what happens in Oxford. When you get a building like the Library and Study Centre at St John’s it is at the heart of the college, which has seen many centuries of teaching. So, that building will become one of the old buildings in the future and we hope it will be added to that history.”
Wendy Perring, regional jury chair, said of this year’s winners: “Despite the challenges of Covid-19, the RIBA South jury were delighted by the quality and range of buildings submitted for the 2021 RIBA South Awards programme.
“Forty projects were entered and 19 buildings were shortlisted; this is an extremely impressive achievement for the South Region and resulted in stiff competition.
“From major civic buildings with complex demands, to exquisite residential extensions and modest interventions, all shortlisted projects achieved a high bar and are to be applauded.
“It was marvellous to see an emphasis placed on landscaping, placemaking, craftsmanship and attention to detail being celebrated with sensitive integration within context.”
The winners in Oxfordshire are:
Bicester Eco Business Centre
The RIBA awards webpage states the Bicester Eco Business Centre has 'quickly become a hub for the new community that continues to grow around it'.
It adds: "It demonstrates what is readily achievable with well-thought-through planning, spatial arrangements and client and end-user participation."
The site is said to fulfil its function as an office workspace without being 'complicated' to use or understand.
The Clore Music Studios
The Clore Music Studios is a project which appears simple in its design but was bore from many constraints. These included planning restrictions to the height, a Civil War rampart restricting the width, desires to tie the building iwith the surrounding accommodation and the essential requirement of a lift large enough to carry pianos to the top floor.
The challenge was resolved and the music studios and performance spaces cater for the musicians’ needs.
RIBA describes how the building has been 'enveloped in stone and glass and respecting the streetscape well'.
It also said: "The stonework has in parts been worked, to add texture and detail to what could have been an otherwise flat stone box."
Library and Study Centre
The Library and Study Centre at St John’s College in Oxford received a special award as RIBA South Building of the Year, which was sponsored by Michelmersh.
On the RIBA website the Library and Study Centre, designed by Wright & Wright Architects, is described as having a ‘robust sustainable design’ and the ‘commissioning of artisans for elements such as the stone artwork and joinery’ do not ‘go unnoticed’.
It said: “The project has been used to link older parts of the college with newer parts, with the creation of new routes providing communal meeting points.
“The library and study centre is student-focused, with different types of reading/research spaces to cater for personal preferences and study methods.”
The Dorothy Wadham Building
The architecture here is said to replicate 'the traditional villas along Iffley Road, with a contemporary update'.
RIBA said: "The main building on Iffley Road maintains the height and grandeur, whilst the buildings addressing the side streets step down to respect the traditional scale of the cottage terraces that are typical of the area.
"This method of integrating the new scheme is used again with the retention of a rear access lane across the back of the site, which provides space for the new communal facilities building and cycle stores."
The Wolfson Building
This building is an award winner, despite being built on a 'congested, awkward, sloping site'.
Here, there is clear architectural form and simple palette of external materials. It has two stretched volumes either side of a central glazed circulation area.
RIBA adds: "The façade build-up and detailing create a visually interesting yet simple appearance, whilst concealing the components of the natural ventilation system.
"The Wolfson Building achieves a lot given the site constraints, including being respectful to the neighbouring cemetery and hospital uses."
What happens next?
The RIBA South Award winners will be considered for a highly-coveted RIBA National Award in recognition of their architectural excellence, which will be announced on Thursday 9 September.
The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize for the best building of the year will also be drawn from the RIBA National Award-winning projects later in the year.
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