RSHP wins two RIBA London awards

The New Cancer Centre at Guy’s Hospital won an award in the South East London category, and the British Museum World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre (WCEC) won an award in the East London category. The two projects represent excellent examples of the broad variety of high-quality architecture the practice produces.

Completed in late 2014, the WCEC is a subtle, sympathetic addition to the British Museum, housing the museum’s largest temporary exhibitions space as well as offices, conservation space, storage and labs. It was designed by senior partner Graham Stirk, and features a variety of state-of-the-art environmental features to dramatically reduce its energy use and improve conditions for storing artefacts.

The New Cancer Centre at Guy’s Hospital, designed by senior partner Ivan Harbour, welcomed its first patients in September 2016, and brings together all oncology services, which were previously scattered across 13 locations on the two Guy’s and St Thomas’ sites. It provides both care and clinical treatment services in a welcoming environment, filled with light and human comforts, including the first radiotherapy services above ground in Europe. Its colourful vertical villages help break its bulk down into a human scale and are designed to be environmentally friendly.

Both projects are now eligible to be put forward for the RIBA national awards.

Speaking on behalf of the team behind the new Cancer Centre at Guy’s Hospital, RSHP project architect Steve Martin said: “I am delighted that we have won this award, and that the hard work of the whole project team has been recognised. Winning this award is an endorsement of patient-centred design. We designed this building with both patients and professionals in mind to bring the art of care together with the science of treatment. The success of this building is as a result of the vision of our clients and the hard work of our partners. Patients deserve to receive their treatment in buildings that inspire and uplift them, and that’s what we’ve aimed for with our Cancer Centre.”

Speaking on behalf of the team behind the British Museum WCEC, project architect and RSHP partner John McElgunn said: “We are delighted to have won a RIBA London award for our work at the British Museum. The difficult site and complex brief was extremely challenging but the results have been very rewarding. Working adjacent to a Grade I listed building in a sensitive conservation area propelled us in a new direction whilst remaining true to our design values. This building facilitates many of the unseen processes of the Museum and safeguards the collection for the future. We are immensely proud of what we have achieved working with such an inspirational client.”