The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) announced today that City of Westminster College’s Schmidt Hammer Lassen-designed Paddington Green Campus is among the winners of the 2011 RIBA Awards.

 

One of the most rigorously judged architectural award schemes in the world, RIBA Awards are given for architectural excellence and involve site visits to each shortlisted building by a panel of judges. The judges’ citation for City of Westminster College’s Paddington Green Campus comments: “Remarkably, given its location, scale, footprint and height (7 storeys) it achieves great composure and provides a light, calm and welcoming environment.

 

“At first glance, to passing traffic on the Westway, the College is akin to an ocean liner with strong horizontal lines between which glazing and blue-coloured vertical panels create a subdued watery shimmer.”

 

The ambitious new £102m Campus opened in January 2011 following a three-year build programme and eight years of planning by the College team, led by Chair of Governors Jude Boardman MBE and Deputy Principal David Pigden. Creating the new building required the demolition of a Sixties building on the same site and relocation of students to temporary College quarters in Paddington Basin.

 

Chair of Governors Jude Boardman MBE says: “Winning this prestigious award from RIBA is a wonderful reward for all those involved in creating the new City of Westminster College Campus and offers international recognition for the quality of what we have achieved. This new building is a truly inspirational setting and forms an essential part of the College’s mission to provide outstanding education and be excellent in every way.”

 

In all, 97 buildings from the UK and Europe are honoured in this year’s RIBA Awards. Other winning buildings in London include the London 2012 Velodrome and the One New Change retail development by St Paul’s Cathedral. All award-winning buildings are put forward for the Stirling Prize, which is presented in October.