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Saturday, 21 Nov, 2009

National Stadium in Beijing wins RIBA Lubetkin Prize

The National Stadium in Beijing - nicknamed ‘the birds nest' - by Herzog & de Meuron, with the China Architectural Design and research Group, Arup Sport and Ove Arup and Partners Hong Kong, and artist Ai Wei Wei, has scooped the Royal Institute of British Architects' (RIBA) prestigious Lubetkin Prize for the most outstanding work of architecture outside the European Union by an RIBA member.

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The National Stadium in Beijing by architects Herzog & de Meuron has been awarded the RIBA Lubetkin Prize - an award given each year to the best building by an RIBA member built outside Europe.

The presentation of the RIBA's Lubetkin Prize will take place at a ceremony tonight (14th July) at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Whitehall, sponsored by Cosentino and in partnership with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI). Winners of 2009 RIBA International Awards will also receive their awards at the ceremony.

Speaking about the building, the Lubetkin Prize judge and RIBA President, Sunand Prasad said: "This year's shortlist for the Lubetkin Prize was easily the best we have seen, and although the discussion was intense, the result was clear. The National Stadium in Beijing will for a long time to come, and around the world, remain amongst the most memorable emblems of 2008 and of the resurgence of China as a global power. For a single work of architecture to hold such a charge is extremely rare, and at the same time to flawlessly accommodate a very complex set of functions makes the feat still more extraordinary. We would like to thank our partner, UKTI and sponsor, Cosentino, for supporting this awards reception."

The prize is named after the world-renowned architect Berthold Lubetkin (1901-1990). Lubetkin's daughter Sasha presented the winning architects with a unique cast bronze plaque, based loosely on her father's design for the Penguin Pool at London Zoo, commissioned by the RIBA and designed and made by the artist Petr Weigl.

The National Stadium, Beijing beat off stiff competition from five other shortlisted buildings: Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3 by Foster and Partners with NACO, the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design and Arup; Watercube, National Swimming Centre, Beijing by PTW Architects with the China State Construction & Engineering Corporation, China State Construction Design International and Arup; Museum Brandhorst, Munich by sauerbruch hutton; Sean O'Casey Community Centre, Dublin by O'Donnell and Tuomey; and The British High Commission, Colombo, Sri Lanka, by Richard Murphy Architects.

The six shortlisted buildings were seen by a visiting jury comprising Sunand Prasad, RIBA President and chair, Paul Monaghan, architect and Chair of the RIBA Awards Group and Tony Chapman, RIBA Head of Awards, who reported to the full jury which also comprised Alison Brooks, architect and Tom Dyckhoff, journalist.

Here we present images of the winning project (first seven images) plus the five other shortlisted schemes

Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3 by Foster and Partners

Watercube, National Swimming Centre, Beijing by PTW Architects

Museum Brandhorst, Munich by sauerbruch hutton

Sean O'Casey Community Centre, Dublin by O'Donnell and Tuomey

The British High Commission, Colombo, Sri Lanka, by Richard Murphy Architects

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