The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has just announced that Chris Williamson has been elected as the next RIBA President. One of the highest positions in UK Architecture, RIBA is a professional body for architects established to promote excellence and provide support and resources to architects and architecture students. As RIBA’s 2025 President, Chris Williamson will take up office as President-Elect from September 2024, followed by a two-year presidential term taking over from Muyiwa Oki beginning September 2025.
Chris Williamson is a prominent architect and the co-founder of Weston Williamson + Partners (WW+P) based in the United Kingdom. Previously the International Vice President of the RIBA, he was responsible for setting a strategy for the RIBA to grow into an international membership institution. In addition, he recently wrote the vision for WW+P’s next 20 years, emphasizing a “diverse, collaborative design studio with strong delivery skills.”
During the elections, he stood against Duncan Baker-Brown and Funmbi Adeagbo. With a passion for social mobility, civic-minded architecture, and global vision, Chris Williamson believes that RIBA can “do more.” In an interview with AJ, the upcoming RIBA President emphasized his vision to promote hope and collaboration, enhancing transparency and communication, and encouraging lifelong learning. On a mission to rejuvenate RIBA as a leader in architecture education and practice worldwide, the candidate seeks to push the institution toward architectural excellence and inclusivity.
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My own practice Weston Williamson + Partners specialises in transport infrastructure. Transport is responsible for 27% of greenhouse gas emissions and we are passionate about encouraging travelers from their cars onto safe, efficient beautifully designed, and integrated public transport...I think the greatest effect on our cities will be how we move around them and between them. -- Chris Williamson explains in an essay on the Future of Architects, in 2019.
The studio he co-founded, Weston Williamson + Partners, aims to “place people at the heart of everything they do.” They recently completed the iconic Paddington Elizabeth Line Station in London, serving as a transportation hub that transforms the passenger experience. In other similar news, RIBA recently announced Lesley Lokko as the laureate for the 2024 RIBA Royal Gold Medal. Additionally, the institution has just announced an international open design competition for a new Conservation Centre at the Oloololo Gate, Masai Mara, Kenya.
