The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced that Pritzker Laureate Lord Norman Foster will chair the 2021 Stirling Prize jury. The jury will also include Simon Allford, RIBA President, architect Annalie Riches, 2019 RIBA Stirling Prize winner, and artist Dame Phyllida Barlow, advised by architect and sustainability expert Mina Hasman.
RIBA has already revealed the six shortlisted buildings contending for this year's Stirling Prize. The selected buildings demonstrated "the innovation and ambition that lies at the heart of exceptional architecture", varying from a city mosque in Cambridge to a remote bridge in Cornwall and a vibrant gathering space in Kingston. The selected projects vary in location and function, but unanimously explore their local environment and context in creative and innovate ways. Each proposal explored how people navigate major global
Lord Foster’s reputation as an architecture pioneer, is demonstrated by an extraordinary array of exceptional projects - uniquely including three Stirling Prizes - so we are delighted that he will Chair this year’s RIBA Stirling Prize jury. Our 2021 shortlist illustrates the ideas, innovation and ambition that underpin great architecture, and there is no doubt that with Lord Foster’s steer, there will be engaging debate and deliberation as we decide the winner. -- Simon Allford, RIBA President
RIBA has also revealed the 16 winners of the International Awards for Excellence 2021. This year’s projects ranged from significant cultural destinations such as Modern Art Museum and its Walkways in Shanghai to new city infrastructure such as the elegant Lille Langebro pedestrian and cycle bridge in the heart of Copenhagen; from a beautiful artists’ home in Sri Lanka to a new hospital building in Bogotá that connects patients with nature.
Foster + Partners's most recent projects include the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, a new research facility within the Hebrew University of Jerusalem campus. The design features an array of flexible laboratories arranged in two parallel wings around an open central courtyard, which recreates the surrounding landscape through its citrus trees and water stream.