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Town House Stirling Prize

GALLERY: Stirling Prize winner – Kingston University’s Town House

GALLERY: Stirling Prize winner – Kingston University’s Town House

We are delighted that Kingston University’s Town House is this year’s winner of the prestigious Stirling Prize! Here’s what makes it so special…

TOP IMAGE: Ed Reeve

Designed by highly acclaimed Grafton Architects, Town House at the heart of the University’s Penrhyn Road campus has received the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize – now in its 25th year.   

Town House was shortlisted among other architectural gems, including 15 Clerkenwell Close in London, Cambridge Central Mosque, the University of Cambridge’s Eddington housing development for key workers, Tintagel Castle Footbridge in Cornwall and Cumbria’s Windermere Jetty Museum. 

While the six projects varied tremendously in their location and use, they were united in their ingenuity and creativity, consideration of historical context, as well as their use of high-quality materials. RIBA President Simon Allford said. “As we navigate major global challenges, from a global pandemic to the climate emergency, this shortlist demonstrates the critical role that UK architects play in creating thoughtful and sustainable places and spaces.”

Opened in early 2020, Town House was conceived as part of a bold vision to create an inspirational new learning space that combines library, archive, dance studios and a studio theatre. The RIBA jury praised the buildings as a “bold aspiration to design the beating heart for Kingston University within a building worthy of the international stage” and called the final result “both technically and spatially excellent, generating a warm, dynamic energy that truly captures the spirit of learning”.  

In addition to its aesthetical excellence, Town House truly is a “green” building. It “performs well environmentally, achieving BREEAM Excellent in design… the concrete frame’s thermal mass helps to regulate indoor temperatures, reducing the overall energy load.” 

“That is no mean feat,” said Architect Lord Foster, chair of this year’s prize jury. “Education must be our future – and this must be the future of education.”