Glasgow School of Art voted UK’s favorite building
The Mackintosh Building at The Glasgow School of Art in Glasgow, Scotland, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, has been declared winner in the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)-sponsored Stirling of Stirling Prize, on May 31.
The Mackintosh Building – “The Mac” or “Toshie” as it’s popularly known, is the heart of the Glasgow School of Art's campus, and has been awarded the honor of being Britain's favorite building in the last 175 years, in a nationwide online poll conducted by the RIBA Journal.
RIBA conducted this poll to celebrate its 175th founding anniversary. The award has been named Stirling of Stirling, in a tribute to the annual Stirling Prize, which is named after the architect James Stirling (1926-1982) and carries a stipend of GBP20,000 ($32,000 approx.). The architects must be RIBA members, but the building can be anywhere in the European Union.
Each of the buildings were picked by diving the entire RIBA epoch into seven 25-year periods, starting from 1834, up till 2009, and selecting a shortlist of seven key buildings from each era. The competition was then open to the public through an online poll, which selected the final seven from each period.
The seven periods were spread from 1834-1858 - neo-gothic to early high tech; 1859-1883 - beginning of English freestyle; 1884-1908 - ascendancy of arts and crafts movement; 1909-1933 - high imperial to early modern; 1934-1958 - Modernism; 1959-1983 - high-tech revival and post-modern; and 1984-2009 - the icon era.
The seven shortlist was drawn from a public vote with the final decision being made by a team of eight judges including RIBA Journal editor Hugh Pearman, architect Alex de Rijke from dRMM and architectural historian Dan Cruickshank. Jan-Carlos Kucharek, assistant editor, RIBA Journal, RIBA president Sunand Prasad, and Jane Priestman OBE (design management consultant).
The castle-like Glasgow School of Art in Scotland, designed by the Scottish architect between 1897 and 1909, made it to the final seven, along with Nicholas Grimshaw’s Eden Project (2001); the Pompidou Centre in Paris by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers (1977); the Royal Festival Hall by Robert Matthew, Leslie Martin and Peter Moro (1951); Charles Holden’s London Underground stations (1920s-1930s); St Pancras Station and Hotel by Sir George Gilbert Scott and William Barlow (1860); and Crystal Palace by Paxton & Fox (1851).
2009 marks the 175th anniversary of the founding of the RIBA. To celebrate this milestone, the Institute is looking forward to a program of special events to be held throughout the year that aims to show the breadth of its activities throughout the world of architecture, engage an even wider public and celebrate the benefits to society of good design.
