Latest news with #RIBA
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Modernist masterpiece built for renowned textile designer up for auction
It was ranked the fifth most influential building to be constructed in Scotland since the end of the Second World War in 2005 by a panel of leading Scottish architecture experts. Now a former textile studio in the Borders has been advertised for sale at auction for the 'bargain' guide price of £18,000. Nestled beside the A707 near Selkirk, the Bernat Klein Studio is a striking piece of late Modernist architecture by Peter Womersley, who also gave us the Gala Fairydean Rovers Spectators Stand, which is widely recognised as Scotland's finest example of Modernist Brutalist architecture. It was built in 1972 as a creative hub for Bernat Klein, a key figure in Modernist design and one of the 20th century's most celebrated textile designers. Conceived as a workspace for design, weaving, exhibiting samples and business meetings, it celebrated the intersection of industrial craftsmanship and artistic vision. READ MORE: Village church for sale as congregation search for new home Shuna Island owned by same family for 80 years goes on sale Home on 'most picturesque street in Glasgow' hits the market for £495k The building was designed to connect harmoniously with its setting on the sloping wooded site; the severe horizontality of the concrete elements succeed in contrasting with the verticals of the trees around it. The Studio won a RIBA award in 1973 for its design and exemplary use and combination of the materials of concrete, brick, steel and glass. It was also awarded the Edinbugh Architectural Association Centenary Medal. It sits near High Sunderland, Klein's own home, which was also built by Peter Womersley - in 1958 - and is recognised as one of Scotland's finest modernist homes. Sold in the early 1990s, the Bernat Klein Studio served as office space until the early 2000s when it was acquired with the idea of converting it into a residential dwelling. After an initial positive flurry of development activity, the Studio has spent most of the 21st century awaiting this repurposing. The category A-Listed building has also been subjected to vandalism and water ingress in recent years and is currently on the Buildings At Risk register. Bernat Klein Studio (Image: Phil Wilkinson) In 2018, a group of people with passion for the work of Peter Womersley launched the campaign to raise awareness of the Studio and its architectural, cultural and historical importance. Historic Environment Scotland (HES) describe it as a "late Modernist horizontally styled two-storey rectangular-plan concrete and glazed studio space set on brick plinth with cantilevered overhanging upper floor, entrance bridge to side and central brick service core through to roof". Outlining the reasons why it is considered to be of special architectural, HES adds: "The Studio is a very fine sculptural late Modernist building designed by Peter Womersley, the internationally renowned Borders-based architect. The contrasting structural elements of bold horizontal cantilevered striated concrete join with finely framed vertical glazing to illustrate a monumental sensibility executed with sophistication and with great attention to detail. The studio design displays elements of Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water, the seminal project which Womersley himself admitted inspired him to take up a career in architecture in his teens." Serbian-born Klein settled in the Scottish Borders after the Second World War, setting up a textile business in Galashiels which would go on to supply his innovative fabrics to some of Europe's top fashion houses. Bernat Klein was one of the 20th century's most celebrated textile designers (Image: Phil Wilkinson) Regarded as one of the 20th century's leading forces in Modernist design, Klein's genius eye for design transformed British textiles over four decades: clients from Chanel and Christian Dior to Marks and Spencer craved his colourful tweeds, and the fabrics and yarns he designed were worn by superstar models such as Jean Shrimpton and Princess Margaret. At the peak of his popularity, his Borders mill employed 600 people, and his fingerprints were on everything from skeins of yarn sold in high street wool shops – to be knitted at home according to patterns designed by his designer wife, Margaret – to sewing patterns, upholstery fabrics and colourful rugs, to ready-to-wear fashion. Fashion bible Vogue praised him for having 'revolutionised traditional English fabrics to win them new recognition abroad'. Following his death at the age of 91 in 2014, The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) said his influence went "well beyond Scotland". RIAS secretary Neil Baxter also pointed out that "for a generation of Scottish women, owning a Bernat Klein creation was an aspiration". In late 2022 and early 2023, The National Museum of Scotland held a major exhibition devoted to the life and career of Klein to mark the centenary of his birth. The Bernat Klein Studio is listed for auction with a guide price of £18,000. For more information on the auction, visit the Savills website
The Herald Scotland
17-07-2025
- General
- The Herald Scotland
A-listed 'Modernist masterpiece' up for auction
Nestled beside the A707 near Selkirk, the Bernat Klein Studio is a striking piece of late Modernist architecture by Peter Womersley, who also gave us the Gala Fairydean Rovers Spectators Stand, which is widely recognised as Scotland's finest example of Modernist Brutalist architecture. It was built in 1972 as a creative hub for Bernat Klein, a key figure in Modernist design and one of the 20th century's most celebrated textile designers. Conceived as a workspace for design, weaving, exhibiting samples and business meetings, it celebrated the intersection of industrial craftsmanship and artistic vision. READ MORE: Village church for sale as congregation search for new home Shuna Island owned by same family for 80 years goes on sale Home on 'most picturesque street in Glasgow' hits the market for £495k The building was designed to connect harmoniously with its setting on the sloping wooded site; the severe horizontality of the concrete elements succeed in contrasting with the verticals of the trees around it. The Studio won a RIBA award in 1973 for its design and exemplary use and combination of the materials of concrete, brick, steel and glass. It was also awarded the Edinbugh Architectural Association Centenary Medal. It sits near High Sunderland, Klein's own home, which was also built by Peter Womersley - in 1958 - and is recognised as one of Scotland's finest modernist homes. Sold in the early 1990s, the Bernat Klein Studio served as office space until the early 2000s when it was acquired with the idea of converting it into a residential dwelling. After an initial positive flurry of development activity, the Studio has spent most of the 21st century awaiting this repurposing. The category A-Listed building has also been subjected to vandalism and water ingress in recent years and is currently on the Buildings At Risk register. Bernat Klein Studio (Image: Phil Wilkinson) In 2018, a group of people with passion for the work of Peter Womersley launched the campaign to raise awareness of the Studio and its architectural, cultural and historical importance. Historic Environment Scotland (HES) describe it as a "late Modernist horizontally styled two-storey rectangular-plan concrete and glazed studio space set on brick plinth with cantilevered overhanging upper floor, entrance bridge to side and central brick service core through to roof". Outlining the reasons why it is considered to be of special architectural, HES adds: "The Studio is a very fine sculptural late Modernist building designed by Peter Womersley, the internationally renowned Borders-based architect. The contrasting structural elements of bold horizontal cantilevered striated concrete join with finely framed vertical glazing to illustrate a monumental sensibility executed with sophistication and with great attention to detail. The studio design displays elements of Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water, the seminal project which Womersley himself admitted inspired him to take up a career in architecture in his teens." Serbian-born Klein settled in the Scottish Borders after the Second World War, setting up a textile business in Galashiels which would go on to supply his innovative fabrics to some of Europe's top fashion houses. Bernat Klein was one of the 20th century's most celebrated textile designers (Image: Phil Wilkinson) Regarded as one of the 20th century's leading forces in Modernist design, Klein's genius eye for design transformed British textiles over four decades: clients from Chanel and Christian Dior to Marks and Spencer craved his colourful tweeds, and the fabrics and yarns he designed were worn by superstar models such as Jean Shrimpton and Princess Margaret. At the peak of his popularity, his Borders mill employed 600 people, and his fingerprints were on everything from skeins of yarn sold in high street wool shops – to be knitted at home according to patterns designed by his designer wife, Margaret – to sewing patterns, upholstery fabrics and colourful rugs, to ready-to-wear fashion. Fashion bible Vogue praised him for having 'revolutionised traditional English fabrics to win them new recognition abroad'. Following his death at the age of 91 in 2014, The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) said his influence went "well beyond Scotland". RIAS secretary Neil Baxter also pointed out that "for a generation of Scottish women, owning a Bernat Klein creation was an aspiration". In late 2022 and early 2023, The National Museum of Scotland held a major exhibition devoted to the life and career of Klein to mark the centenary of his birth. The Bernat Klein Studio is listed for auction with a guide price of £18,000. For more information on the auction, visit the Savills website
Western Telegraph
16-07-2025
- Business
- Western Telegraph
Redevelopment of former Tenby seafront hotel approved
In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Fourcroft Management Ltd, through agent David J P Morgan RIBA Architect, sought permission for works to the Grade-II-listed former Fourcroft Hotel, The Croft, Tenby. The works in the application, and an accompanying Listed Building Consent application, include changes in fenestration on the rear facade at first floor and second floor levels and on staircase landings, blocking up modern openings formed to suit the previous hotel use, replacement sash windows and enlarging some original window opens, and other works. A supporting statement said: 'The Former Fourcroft Hotel formed part of a classical and historically significant Georgian terrace overlooking Tenby North beach. The terrace was originally 11 individual dwellings. Over the years there have been alterations, and the originality of the individual houses has been lost. 'Houses 1 and 2 have been combined and have been converted into apartments. Houses 3,4,5 and 6 were integrated to form the Fourcroft Hotel. Houses 7-11 remain visually, as single houses although have been converted internally into apartments. 'Repair and stabilisation of the building has been ongoing for the last two years or so.' More: Pirate bar plans for Pembrokeshire village harbour boat refused More: Major redevelopment at Pembrokeshire holiday park approved The statement said the current application 'precedes a full application for change of use of the former Hotel and for alterations to the basement and ground floor facade including extensions and terraces in order to facilitate the new proposed use,' with the applications for alterations done in stages 'due to legal complications over existing leases connected to the hotel'. It said the works in the current scheme 'will be positive and will not affect the architectural or historic interest of the building to a degree that would alter its special interest in any significant way but will certainly preserve that interest'. The application was conditionally approved, an officer report saying it was 'considered by officers to both preserve and enhance the appearance of Tenby Conservation Area,' and was 'considered to be appropriate in terms of size, scale and detail'.
ME Construction
15-07-2025
- ME Construction
Architectural AI: Designing better buildings while maintaining the human touch
Experts Architectural AI: Designing better buildings while maintaining the human touch By RIBA Chartered Architect Nikoleta Stefanaki shares her thoughts on the use of AI in architecture and why it should remain a support tool rather than a decision-maker Artificial intelligence (AI) is already a part of our daily lives. From site analysis and energy modeling to floor plans and performance simulations, it's becoming just another tool in our design process. In the Middle East, where projects move fast and expectations are high, AI does not feel revolutionary anymore, it simply feels expected. However, the fundamental concerns in architecture remain the same, even as the tools change: Who are we building for? What kind of experience are we trying to create? How can we ensure that the structures we design have significance rather than just statistical value? The challenge now is not whether or not to use AI. It is how to use it effectively without allowing it to flatten what defines architecture. More options, but less significance? AI gives us more options than ever. Enter a few parameters, and soon you will have hundreds of variations, daylight studies, and performance recommendations. That is helpful, especially under pressure. You get faster insight and early-stage clarity. According to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), 41% of UK practices are already using AI tools for concept generation and visualisation. Speed and structure are undeniably valuable, but they are not enough. More choices do not always lead to better decisions. AI can calculate efficiency but it doesn't understand emotion. It can simulate light angles but not how sunlight across a floor makes someone feel at peace. It doesn't worry about a loved one in a hospital corridor. It doesn't pause to reflect. That's our job. Design is more than optimisation. It's about life, memory, comfort, culture. AI may tell us where to put a window for heat gain but it won't tell us where to place it so someone wakes up feeling calm. Allow AI to perform tasks that it is capable of doing AI has benefits that are well worth pursuing. In terms of performance-based design, it is outstanding. Before a single wall is built, it can simulate daylight, project thermal comfort, test ventilation, and calculate energy loads. That's quite significant at our current temperatures. Getting performance right leads to less waste, lower energy consumption, and increased comfort. AI, when combined with accurate data, can help us achieve sustainability goals with greater confidence and speed. As highlighted in a RIBA article, 57% of architects expect to use AI for environmental analysis within two years, identifying it as one of the most promising areas of application. The UAE's own national AI Strategy 2031 supports this momentum, targeting high-level integration of AI across sectors- including the built environment. However, performance alone does not define a successful building. We've all seen perfectly designed environments that appear frigid or detached. While atmosphere, context, and emotion are equally important (and cannot be defined by AI), numbers remain fundamental. Design for people, not just output We are also becoming more aware of the extent to which the built environment influences our well-being. Light, air, acoustics, orientation, and other factors all influence how people feel. AI is helping us understand these connections by processing massive amounts of data from real-world projects. That's handy. We could strategically arrange classrooms in a school, so that daylight is maximised, while glare is reduced. We could also consider redesigning the hospital circulation system to reduce the amount of walking by staff members and provide more relaxing areas for patients to wait. However, well-being is more than just numbers. It is emotional, it is how a student feels their first day in a new classroom. A patient finds comfort in a setting that lacks a clinical atmosphere. Although AI cannot define those outcomes, it can support them. It still takes people and designers who pay attention and are concerned. A tool, not a decision-maker AI, like any other tool, has limitations. The quality of AI depends on the training data, which often originates from diverse regions and societies. What makes sense in the United States or Scandinavia is not always applicable in the Gulf. We cannot accept AI results without question. We need to ask, is this logical here? Does it reflect the way people live, work, and socialise here? Transparency is also important. AI is beginning to shape decisions that affect people's lives, including financial, emotional, and social outcomes. If we're answering those calls with algorithms, we need to understand why and how they work. RIBA's research reflects this tension: 34% of architects view AI as threat, voicing concerns about design imitation and loss of creativity. The profession is cautiously optimistic but not uncritical. In his book 'Machine Learning: Architecture in the age of AI', architect and Yale professor Philip G. Bernstein emphasises that AI should be viewed as an augmentation, rather than a substitute for architectural intelligence. He writes, 'the architect's role is not only to generate options, but also to apply judgment to those options in ways that are culturally, contextually, and ethically appropriate.' In other words, AI can provide infinite iterations, but only humans can decide what matters. Our involvement is changing rather than disappearing Although it is easy to believe that AI is transforming our field of work, this does not imply that it is replacing us. Our responsibility is, if anything, growing. Architects shape experiences, manage complexity, and interpret needs; they don't just draw buildings. The more powerful our tools become, the more important it is that we actively guide them. We are the ones who set the priorities and investigate the appropriate issues to ensure that the outcome benefits actual people, not just performance goals. We have the opportunity to lead this transformation in the Middle East, where things move quickly and consumers are open to creativity. However, innovation does not imply sprinting to automate. It entails keeping the parts that are most important to people in our hands while utilising AI where it is beneficial. Where people still come first AI can help us become smarter, faster, and more precise designers. It still doesn't know what is best for a specific family, community, or city with a unique history. It has no idea what a place represents, or what it may mean in the future. And that's why we came into this field. The best architecture is ultimately human-made. It's more than just clever or efficient; it's intuitive, emotional, and deeply connected to the way people live. AI may help us build faster and smarter, but it can't replace the insight that comes from truly understanding a place, a culture, or a community. At its core, architecture is not just about structure, it's about belongings. And no algorithm can replace the human instinct to design for life.
Time Out
14-07-2025
- Business
- Time Out
London's Elizabeth Tower and Young V&A have just won very prestigious architecture awards
Last year a London building won the Stirling Prize, which is the most prestigious award in UK architecture and one of the world's most respected design prizes. None other than the Elizabeth line scooped the award, with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) – which runs the award – praising the line as a 'flawless, efficient, beautifully choreographed solution to inner-city transport'. The process of crowning the next Stirling Prize winner is already underway, with RIBA last week (on July 10) announcing its 2025 National Award winners. The National Awards, which have been held since 1966, are intended to both celebrate the best new pieces of British architecture and 'provide insight into the country's design and social trends'. Of RIBA's 20 National Award winners, a whopping eight are in London – and they feature some very familiar faces. The Elizabeth Tower – which is home to Big Ben – and Young V&A were among the award winners. The Elizabeth Tower picked up the gong for its conservation and refurbishment project, which started in 2015 and was undertaken by Purcell (architects which also revamped the National Portrait Gallery). Purcell didn't just repair much of the tower; the firm also had to fix 'detrimental previous interventions'. RIBA praised the project for its 'extensive' stone repairs, but also for the installation of a passenger lift. Young V&A (previously known at the V&A Museum of Childhood) reopened in 2023 to become 'the UK's first museum built with and for young people'. RIBA praised the project – which was by AOC Architecture and De Matos Ryan – for widely engaging with the public, and the new venue features a new exhibition space, shop, learning centre and more. Young V&A won Art Fund Museum of the Year 2024. The other six London buildings to get a RIBA National Award were: retrofitted 1970s Farringdon office building 8 Bleeding Heart Yard, contemporary Southwark almshouse Appleby Blue Almshouse, affordable Lewisham home development Citizens House, Battersea's barbershop-turned-home-and-workspace Costa's Barbers, south London Japanese-inspired home Niwa House, and the London College of Fashion 's new vertical campus in Stratford. Eventually RIBA's 20 National Award winners will be narrowed down to six, which will compete for the Stirling Prize. That shortlist will be revealed on September 4 Commenting on the National Award-winning projects, RIBA Awards Group Chair Simon Henley, said: 'Congratulations to each of this year's RIBA National Award winners. Each of these 20 winning projects is a powerful testament to the diversity and depth of our profession. They demonstrate how architecture is not just a creative force, but also central in addressing some of the most pressing challenges of our time. 'This year's winners reflect the many and varied ways architects are being asked to work, and their incredible motivation and breadth of expertise. As a profession, we now look to the past as much as the future, and to care and repair as we do to build. We continue to innovate but we also seek continuity, and in so doing to make work of every scale that is engaging and thoughtful. The power of architecture to transform society and inform our way of life is on full display in every winning project.' You can find out more about each project on the RIBA website here.
