Best New Building: RIBA Stirling Prize 2013 RIBA Stirling Prize

evacuated. —— Typhoon Usagi. Now in BBC News a look on this year

's nominations for the building of 's nominations for the building of

the year in the Stirling Prize. We have questions for you. For

instance, can you really should you be able to hide a holiday home in a

ruined castle? Can you give new life to 60s concert —— concrete or can

you make a building invisible? The Stirling Prize has been filled with

spectacular. projects that are huge,

spectacular. What we are about to show

have a good look at, perhaps more the six projects vying to be the

have a good look at, perhaps more importantly, hear from the people

who have to live with them. importantly, hear from the people

It was a really heartbreaking sight. A place that had been so

collapsed. There isn't anywhere in collapsed. There isn't anywhere

England that was more important and England that was more important and

more in jeopardy than Astley Castle. There was a fork in the road. Either

we can accept that it would be gone for ever or we can take a bold leap

and say letters try this new way of looking at it to try to save it. ——

let us try it. It is a bold and a very unusual

thing for anyone to do, to take a mediaeval castle as either we are

not going to leave it to ruin, will not wear painstaking restoration,

but we will do something says the building is now turning a page into

a new chapter and we will get a modern architect to fill the pages

of that new chapter. This is the outer courtyard of Astley Castle. It

gives you a flavour of what this project is about. The old mediaeval

castle, the ruined shell of it here, and then the new building that the

architects built for the Landmark trust in the shell which is through

here. All the living space at Astley Castle, everything other than the

bedrooms and bathrooms is on the upper level. We have the seating and

dining area and the kitchen area. It is a big open plan space.

lovely because you can see the lovely because you can see the

fantastic views out of the windows. You can see how well

fantastic views out of the windows. materials and the old sit next to

each other. I thought that maybe people

intervention, which is quite inserted, into an old building, that

it was not the right thing. We have had almost no negative feedback at

all from people. Last week I marry Julie and she is American. Her

family came over for the wedding. —— I marry. We thought it would be a

great place for everyone to stay. From the distance, looking into the

castle you can see right through and you cannot see the modern bits. It

still looks like ruins. We do not want to go home. We love it. We

found out yesterday that my grandma got proposed to in this room. That

would have been 50 years ago. He proposed by this fire. This place

used to be a hotel, they used to come to dancers here and have meals

and sit by the fire. Just as we did and sit by the fire. Just as we did

last night. It was great to hear that story.

Seeing that it is possible to have a future for a building like this and

that you do not have to walk away from it and that you can do it

really imaginatively and not in from it and that you can do it

slavish way it has been a really inspiring and has got lots of people

thinking about what you might be able to do with a building thought

What we had asked the architects for originally was a building that could

move us and that would cause people to be still and to be calm and to

want to just sit a while. Originally what we wanted when we

selected this design was this elliptical shape which, to begin

with, looked like a boat that was in the middle of the Oxford

countryside. The exterior was to give us something that was rounded,

a sense that it blended into the countryside and fits into the

rolling hills. It does not stick out as something square or rectangular.

It fits into the community in a womb It fits into the community in a womb

like way. Whenever I take people in for the first time their

overwhelming reaction to the chapel is that they nearly always use 13

word. It is simple but very spacious. It

is not fussy. The way the light is...

When I first saw I thought it looked like a gasometer. It did, of course

it is elliptical which adds to the difficulties of building it. At the

same time, it gives you so much space. I think it is a

more can you ask? The likeness of the shape, it is a shape that talks

to me. This space are really is a special

space for people who want to sit and contemplate the landscape. You can

be here and other things can be going on and it does not matter. We

wanted there to be some space where people just sit and be quiet.

I hadn't realised entirely how the design would, by lifting your eyes

physically, because the light is up there, I had not realised how that

would create a sense of a building that lifts you spiritually. I told

them in my sermon on the 1st of February when it was dedicated that

it would not really be dedicated into little prayerful. It fills

prayerful before it has been much prayed in. —— feels.

It is an astonishing and astounding piece of

It is an astonishing and astounding The causeway is the flagship for

Northern Ireland. The last thing you come to see is a building that takes

away from the World Heritage site. come to see is a building that takes

The thing about the design, you do not see it, it is not a big thing in

the landscape. It is hidden. But it still has a huge presence. You see

the front part of the building a rock and, as if it is lifting out of

the landscape. The only part you see is this front. We are now on the

building at roof. Division of the was to return this so that the path

on the cliffs turned the whole way round. So we would be Lohia. ——

Lowell here. Because Western Swan made from assault. They were keen to

make sure that the building was make sure that the building was made

from the same material. Each column is a different size and shape and is

handcart and hand placed. —— hand cart.

There is no plan, route, or destination to be building. When you

come here you use the whole building as a visitor experience. We cannot

We would prefer them to work it out We would prefer them to work it out

themselves. I am from an engineering background. I was lucky enough to

all about the building when it was being built, all about the new

technology going into it, and this technology has been put into

practice and is working very well. Instead of thermostatic controls in

for the error in the ventilation of for the error in the ventilation

The heat is from heat pumps. We can the building through CO2

keep the building at a constant keep the building at a constant

temperature. It is temperature. It is a

state—of—the—art technology which has a minimum service. It is a very

efficient building. It is fantastic to see it working. The building is

very modern and up—to—date. The finished product is absolutely

amazing. It is great that Northern Ireland have something to provide,

not just for the local people but for visitors. It is an amazing place

to work. There are people who love it and those who do not like it. It

landscape and then it just ends. It landscape and then it just ends. It

is laid out nicely, it is comfortable. A lot of criticism, but

I think it looks great. It did not make me think anything. I was good

with it. We waited a long time for something. This is a mash of

everything. To have everything. To have something

world—class like this actually on the site, I think it is brilliant.

It brings it all together. This is moving forward for Northern Ireland.

This is our time. When you see the people it is fantastic. It is

showing a part of the world off. showing a part of the world off. ——

our part of the world. People tend to react very positively

or negatively. The concept or negatively. The concept of

quality spaces. There is a real scenario of housing. It

quality spaces. There is a real inside/outside feel. There is no

getting away from the fact that getting away from the fact that they

are high—density housing. People buy into the concept of having tight

neighbour. It overcomes those neighbour. It overcomes those

issues. This is our open plan living area. What I love about it is

available as part of what is going on in the living room. They have

levelled the outside decking. It is just another part of the living

room. My bedroom is my favourite room. The double height is

fantastic. Because I am Dutch, architecture is a lot more

contemporary there. I wanted something with more windows. I just

looking around. It was really hard to find. Even on the jury as day, it

makes you a bit more uplifted. I makes you a bit more uplifted. I

work from home, so I am in this house a lot. It is inspiring. We

like the open plan of the house. We like the open plan of the house.

liked all of the windows. Your liked all of the windows. Your

fillets or an adult of area. You'll notice that the row houses next

year. No one is in a straight line. You are not looking at your window

and seeing a walled in the same way. To come

are identical and together, it has a are identical and together, it has a

holiday village feel to it. Think we properly appreciated the reception

we received. Because it is striking images people see, they feel like

they want to come and see it. It makes you feel better to live in a

house that you love and you are proud of. This house to scribes who

we are as a family, open, outgoing, the family and house comes each

other. —— this house describes. It is concrete, it is brutalist, and

it is hard line. How on earth can you find a solution for its? It was

of a hill. We have reimagine it is a of a hill. We have reimagine it is a

castle in parkland. When the of a hill. We have reimagine it is a

building was first built, it building was first built, it

loved it. It was reported in papers, loved it. It was reported in papers,

it got loads of coverage. Park Hill is home to 3000 people. Local buses

are lifts that carry your two are lifts that carry your two

streets in the air. are lifts that carry your two

building. There was a big? About what to do it. Our job is to re—

imaginings, this Mac reimagine it and find out how people become

excited about it. I am a resident here at Park Hill. I have a two

bedroom flat. This is my reception area. This is the larger of the two

bedrooms. The living room space itself, we have concrete walls will

stop on the other side we have full height windows. The kitchen area is

quite neat and compact. Now we can allow all the fresh air into the

apartment. The lots of different aspects, it is a mixed tenancy.

There is a level of ownership, people who want to live here and

take control of their environments. We love the apartment. We need to

give the building and outward give the building and outward

expression of confidence. That is why you see the coloured panels. It

is a very crisp new dimension to the building. One of the big things was

to create more activity on the site. All of the lower floors are now

commercial space. We started attract creative businesses. That is

important in bringing animation to be site. We were the first

commercial company to coming here. We have been here for five months.

look and feel of the place, the fact look and feel of the place,

it is not unique —— it is unique. Also the Reef decide to wear our

elsewhere are fascinated that we are based in this building. Some people

do not like Park Hill, and they never will. Not everybody needs to

like it. We have had people who like it. We have had people who were

very opposed to the building being maintained. I think it is a great

impact. It makes you feel very

professional, it makes you feel cutting edge. It makes you feel

innovative. It makes you feel that to be a graduate as Limerick, you

are at the top. We are in are at the top. We are in the

northern campus of the University of Limerick. The residential Plaza

hair. There are a number of hair. There are a number of

buildings that define the Plaza. buildings that define the Plaza.

There is the new medical school building which houses the entry

residences to house students residences to house students

writer is a concrete structure that writer is a concrete structure that

the Plaza. When we saw the building the Plaza. When we saw the building

building, people do talk about the building, people do talk about the

wow factor. I think it was certainly that. He has sticking up on my neck,

that is the feeling everyone had. What we have is a four story

between lecture theatres. On the between lecture theatres. On the

first floor, that is problem —based learning, tutorial

rooms. On the second floor, as well you focus on clinical and anatomical

studies. We travelled far and wide to work out what was required. It

works very well, it is very works very well, it is very

adaptable. This is the top floor that has research space. It has

standard high specification equipment, benches, centrifuges, all

of this. It is a wonderful setting. As soon as you walk in you feel like

you are part of something bigger. When you start up as a student,

you're not qualified yet, you have a hunger to become a doctor. The

building makes you feel like you are on your way. It is an inspiring

place. We were always conscious from place. We were always conscious from

the beginning of we were on a tight budget. It is a public building. I

think everybody who sit around the table and designed the building were

conscious that the money had to conscious that the money had to be

put to the best possible use. All the students live in these three

buildings. Each apartment has four bedrooms. A really good study area.

The mess we're in main living area, it has chilled function. We do our

cooking and relaxing. It is great cooking and relaxing. It is great

fantastic. It makes you forget about all the study and hard work. It is

fantastic. It makes you forget about not like any other college

accommodation I have accommodation I have seen. It is

fantastic. It is just a lovely space to be in. That is really important.

fantastic. It is just a lovely space students,

last year we now have an environment in which to deliver that education.

It has been great price. —— great for us.

So we now know how to make a castle company, how to hide a visitor

centre, how to make space proud full. The heart of all of this is

that issue — solving human problems. Architecture may feel like it is

blighted by jargon and hyphenated concepts, but the height of all this

is two questions. Does it work? Is that lifts the spirits or corrode

the sole? —— does it lifts