The Royal Institute of British Architects’ International Prize, billed as a prize to match the prestige of the Pritzker and Stirling prizes, is now open for entries.
Launched in 2016 as a replacement for the Lubetkin Prize, which was open to RIBA members working outside the European Union, the International Prize is open to all qualified architects working anywhere in the world.
The Grand Jury for the 2018 prize will be led by Elizabeth Diller, partner of US firm Diller Scofidio and Renfro. It will also include Joshua Bolchover, winner of the first RIBA International Prize’s award for Best Emerging Practice and co-founder of Rural Urban Framework, and choreographer and director Wayne McGregor CBE.
The prize will be awarded to the “most transformative building” that demonstrates “visionary, innovative thinking, excellence of execution, and makes a distinct contribution to its users and physical context,” according to RIBA.
The winner of RIBA’s first ever International Prize was The Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología (UTEC) in Lima, designed by Grafton Architects. The building was described as a “a modern-day Machu Picchu” by the prize’s 2016 grand jury.
Among the 21 recipients of a RIBA Award for International Excellence in 2016 was Australian practice Peter Stutchbury Architecture for Invisible House, which had also taken out a number of accolades locally, including an award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New) in the 2014 NSW Architecture Awards and Australian House of the Year in the 2014 Houses Awards.
The prize’s inaugural finalists included Zaha Hadid Architects for the Heydar Aliyev Center in Azerbaijan, Agence D’architecture Phillipe Prost for The Ring of Remembrance in Notre Dame de Lorette and DRDH Architects for Stormen Concert Hall and Library in Bodø, north of the Arctic Circle in Nordland county, Norway.
Entries for the 2018 RIBA International Prize will close on 17 October 2017. Shortlisted building will be visited by two expert panels of jurors. The grand jury will select four finalists to visit and the winning building will be announced in November 2018.
