The six finalists for the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) International Prize 2016 have been announced. The buildings will now be visited by the Grand Jury of the prize before the winner is announced on Thursday 24 November 2016.
1-ARQUIPELAGO – CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER
by Menos é Mais, Arquitectos Associados with João Mendes Ribeiro Arquitecto
© Jose Campos
Restoring the site of an 1890s sweet potato distillery, Arquipelago Contemporary Arts Centre expertly combines restoration, reconstruction and new build, drawing on the history of the building and its distinctive black Basalt exterior to create a restrained, industrial character.
2-HEYDAR ALIYEV CENTER
© Hufton + Crow
by Zaha Hadid Architects with DiA Holding
Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku offers a vibrant programme of arts, music, and performance to audiences in the vaulted spaces and distinctive wave-like form that dominates the eastern aspect of the city.
3-MUSEO JUMEX
© Simon Menges
by David Chipperfield Architects with Taller Abierto de Arquitectura y Urbanismo
A structure that celebrates the industrial heritage of its site context in Mexico City, David Chipperfield Architects’ Museo Jumex is home to the largest private collection of Latin American contemporary art in the world.
4-RING OF REMEMBRANCE, INTERNATIONAL WWI
by Agence d’architecture Philippe Prost
© David Grandorge
The Ring of Remembrance memorial in Notre-Dame-de-Lorette near Arras commemorates the thousands who died in the region during World War I.
5-STORMEN
by DRDH Architects
© Aitor Ortiz
Stormen Concert Hall and Library has created a new community focus for a small town, with two new civic buildings in Bodø, 100km inside the Arctic Circle.
6-UTEC – UNIVERSIDAD DE INGENIERIA Y TECNOLOGIA
by Grafton Architects with Shell Arquitectos
© Iwan Baan
The UTEC in Lima is a new faculty for a 50-year-old engineering university to enable young Peruvians to gain engineering qualifications and to encourage social mobility.
The selection follows a rigorous judging process which saw the RIBA awards committee travel to 30 buildings across five continents before choosing six buildings to be visited again in November. Setting a new global standard for architectural achievement, the prize will be judged by a grand jury of experts chaired by world-renowned architect, Lord Richard Rogers of Riverside.
Projects demonstrate a range of innovative responses to the role of public architecture, providing major new additions to their contexts and communities.
Isabelle Laurent is a Built Projects Editor at Arch2O, recognized for her editorial insight and passion for contemporary architecture. She holds a Master’s in Architectural Theory from École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville. Before joining Arch2O in 2016, she worked in a Paris-based architectural office and taught as a faculty adjunct at the École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris. Isabelle focuses on curating projects around sustainability, adaptive reuse, and urban resilience. With a background in design and communication, she brings clarity to complex ideas and plays a key role in shaping Arch2O’s editorial