RIBA

The Royal Institute of British Architects champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and their members. They help to provide the standards, training, support and recognition that put their members – in the UK and overseas – at the peak of their profession. With government, they work to improve the design quality of public buildings, new homes and new communities.

History Of RIBA

The RIBA was founded in 1834 for 'The general advancement of Civil Architecture, and for promoting and facilitating the acquirement of the knowledge of the various arts and sciences connected therewith’. They do not receive any government funding but rely on their 40,000 members, sponsors and their charitable trading operations to make their work possible.

I have found some keys dates in RIBA's history that seem most interesting.

In 1837 they were awarded the Royal Charter.

In 1848 they were awarded the Royal Gold Medal instituted by Queen Victoria.

It wasn't until 1894 that they published their first Journal.

In 1934 they moved to the current headquarters at 66 Portland Place in central London.

During the 1960's they developed as a regional organisation, and an office was opened in Cambridge in 1966.

In 1984 it was the 150th anniversary of the RIBA with the monstrous carbuncle speech by Prince Charles.

1996 was when the RIBA Stirling Prize was inaugurated, and televised by 2000.

They celebrated their 175th anniversary in 2009.

The launch of the first architectural gallery free to the public at 66 Portland Place in 2014.

RIBA Stirling Prize 2016

Newport Street Gallery

Caruso St John's Newport Street Gallery wins 2016 RIBA Stirling Prize for the best building of the year. Newport Street Gallery has won the coveted 2016 RIBA Stirling Prize for the UK’s best new building. Now in its 21st year, the RIBA Stirling Prize sponsored by Almacantar, is the UK’s most prestigious architecture prize. This is the first time Caruso St John architects have won the RIBA Stirling Prize; they were shortlisted for the award for Brick House, west London in 2006 and New Art Gallery Walsall in 2000. Newport Street Gallery involved the conversion and transformation of a street facing a railway line in Vauxhall, south London, into a free public gallery for artist Damien Hirst's private art collection. Three listed Victorian industrial buildings, formerly carpentry and scenery painting workshops for West End theatres, have been remodelled and flanked at either end by entirely new buildings; one with a striking, spiky saw-tooth roof. The new additions have a specially-created hard pale red brick finish to closely reference the original buildings, while a huge LED panel on the railway facade encourages passing train commuters to visit. The ground and upper floors within the interconnected five buildings are continuous, with new spiral staircases on their side, to create flexible spaces able to accommodate everything from individual works to larger shows.

References

https://www.architecture.com/Awards/Awards2016/StirlingPrize/Home.aspx