Levete and Ritchie share ‘best London building’ accolade

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The Victoria & Albert Museum's Exhibition Road Quarter, by AL_A

Mezzanine at Amanda Levete's V&A Exhibition Road Quarter

Source: Elizabeth Hopkirk

Ian Ritchie Architects' Royal Academy of Music Angela Burgess Recital Hall

Part of the Royal Academy of Music's Susie Sainsbury Theatre, by Ian Ritchie Architects

Foster & Partners' Bloomberg London headquarters

15 Clerkenwell Close by Amin Taha and Groupwork

Source: Tim Soar

The Department Store in Brixton, by Squire & Partners

Source: James Jones

No 1 New Oxford Street by Orms

Source: Timothy Soar

Royal Albert Wharf Phase One by Maccreanor Lavington, with detailed design by RMA Architects

Source: Maccreanor Lavington

The Skeforde, by Chris Dyson Architects

Source: Peter Landers

RSHP's Leadenhall Building

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RIBA has named the 61 projects that have won 2018 London Regional Awards and conferred this year’s “Best London Building” title jointly on Amanda Levete’s AL_A practice and Ian Ritchie Architects.

Levete’s best-building title was in recognition of AL_A’s Victoria & Albert Museum Exhibition Road Quarter. Ritchie was honoured for the practice’s Susie Sainsbury Theatre and Angela Burgess Recital Hall at the Royal Academy of Music.

Elsewhere, Foster & Partners’ Bloomberg building; Amin Taha and Groupwork’s 15 Clerkenwell Close; Wilkinson Eyre’s King’s Cross Gasholders; Squire & Partners’ Department Store; and Orms’ No1 New Oxford Street refurbishment were included in the overall awards winners list.

Maccreanor Lavington had five entries on the list – the most of any practice, including Kingsgate School in Camden, and Grange Primary School and Charles Dickens School both of which are in Southwark. The practice’s other two winners are South Gardens at Elephant Park and its 1,500-home Royal Albert Wharf scheme in Docklands.

Hawkins Brown had three entries on the list, including 53 Great Suffolk Street and Hackney Town Hall. AHMM had the same number, including its White Collar Factory at Old Street. RSHP’s Leadenhall Building, which completed in 2014, also won an award, as did Chris Dyson Architects’ refurbishment of the Regency pub the Sekforde in Clerkenwell.

RIBA London director Dian Small said the fact that the winners – whittled down from a shortlist of 93 – included 14 housing schemes, eight schools, a city farm, and a range of cultural institutions was a testament to the diverse way the capital used its creative skills.

“London has perhaps the highest concentration of design talent found anywhere in the world,” she said.

“It is that concentration of diverse talent, skills and exchange of ideas that makes London such an exciting and challenging place to work in the field of architecture.

“It’s testament to the drive and passion of our members that, again, we have seen the largest-ever number of schemes shortlisted for the RIBA London Awards.

“Our members are building more – and better – buildings than ever before; constantly enhancing the landscape and skyline of our region.”

Maccreanor Lavington founding director Richard Lavington said his practice’s haul of awards was “an amazing achievement”.

“We have seen a number of projects complete this year and this is an opportunity to stand back and recognise what we have achieved and all the hard work it has taken to get there,” he said.

Lavington also thanked the practice’s clients for their “commitment to design quality”. 

In addition to the Best London Building award shared by Levete and Ritchie, RIBA made a handful of further special awards.

Chris Dyson won the RIBA London Sustainability Award for the Sekforde; Butler Hegarty Architects won the RIBA London Conservation Award for its Turner’s House project; and 31/44 Architects picked up best small project for Red House.

All of the London awards winners are in the running for the RIBA National Awards, winners of which will be announced on June 21.