14 NEWS COMPETITION
Empowering Platforms: a competition to reimagine the Thames Riverfront
The London Festival of Architecture (LFA), Westminster City Council and the Northbank Business Improvement District have launched a new design competition for an “empowering platform” that can “help reimagine the experience people have with the River Thames alongside the Westminster riverbank,” said LFA. As the latest addition to the Festival’s competitions programme, the ‘Empowering Platforms’ project seeks a complete transformation of the current ‘benches on bricks’ model with a design vision that centres around “inclusivity and accessibility – shaping a more engaging and stimulating experience of the riverfront for all,” said the competition organisers. Architects, landscape architects, and designers are invited to develop a “bold
AWARDS
2020 Royal Gold Medal for Architecture awarded to Grafton Architects
Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, co-founders of Dublin-based Grafton Architects, were awarded the 2020 Royal Gold Medal for architecture at a special ceremony at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Presented in recognition of a
lifetime’s work, the Royal Gold Medal is approved personally by the Queen, and is given to a person or group of people who have had a significant influence either directly or indirectly on the advancement of architecture. Yvonne Farrell and Shelley
McNamara co-founded Grafton Architects in 1978. Since then the practice has received international acclaim for a portfolio of projects, most notably for its exemplary education buildings – in 2016 they won the
inaugural RIBA International Prize for the bold new vertical campus building for Lima’s specialist engineering university (UTEC) in Peru. Speaking about Grafton Architects,
Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, co-founders of Grafton Architects. © Morely von Sternberg
RIBA president, Professor Alan M Jones, said: “From designing houses in wind-swept rural landscapes to substantial inner-city university projects, from curating and contributing to world class exhibitions to teaching within some of the world’s leading schools of architecture, the scale and scope of Grafton Architects’ influence is extraordinary. Their extensive talent and generosity of spirit are an inspiration, not only to me and my fellow architects but to all those who have had the pleasure of engaging directly with them and their work.”
and interactive design concept that offers everyone a place to engage with the River Thames, local landmarks and the area’s rich heritage from a fresh and engaging perspective,” and to make the Thames Path more inviting for different users. At present, the Thames Riverfront in the
City of Westminster is a world-known destination but according to the LFA, it is not being used to its full potential. In places public benches are positioned on raised brick platforms to offer views across the river wall: however, for many people they are “inelegant and inaccessible.” The competition aims to enhance the Thames Path through “bold design solutions” in different locations, providing a more accessible and attractive public realm, and properly addressing the relationship
between the Thames Path and its surroundings “in ways that benefit everyone,” said the organisers. Designers are encouraged to consider interactivity and sensory experiences, how views towards the river and key landmarks can be improved, and how the area’s rich heritage can be enhanced. Those interested in applying are
invited to submit their initial expressions of interest by 8.00 am on Monday 23 March. Up to six shortlisted teams will then be invited to develop a design concept and will each be awarded an honorarium of £500. Winning designers will then be awarded £20,000 to manufacture and install their interventions, ready to be revealed as part of the London Festival of Architecture 2020.
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
ADF MARCH 2020
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