168 Upper Street, Islington, is one of the buildings nominated for the Royal Institute of British Architects London Awards, 2019.
A RIBA Regional Award is “given to a UK building for its importance as a piece of architecture” and “champions and celebrates the best architecture in the UK”.
Out of 200 London-based projects that were entered, 83 were shortlisted, including 168 Upper Street.
The building, on the corner of Barnsbury Street, is described by Open House London, a company that offers walks and tours around London’s most interesting architectural buildings, as “a 1:1 cast monument and memory to the Victorian terrace which previously existed on the site before it was bombed and cleared during WWII.”
After a design competition to invited proposals for the renovation of the site, it was designed by Groupwork + Amin Taha, a multi-award winning architectural company and design studio.
The studio cites itself as having “considerable experience in restoring and refurbishment of historic buildings and delight on applying an intelligent design approach to challenging and difficult sites”.
Taha, who has been dubbed “London’s most controversial architect”, is also responsible for the renovation of the controversial 15 Clerkenwell Close, which is currently being considered for demolition despite the £4.65 million cost of the project.
Describing the renovation of the building, the company said that it “brought opportunities to explore and enhance the notion of representation of past traditions.”
With the external wall of 168 Upper Street constructed of a “hollow cast of the existing building, formed with an in-situ cast terracotta wall”, the studio noted that using the same materials as the original building would not “meet today’s standards”.
“The idea of looking to the past and the past looking back seemed so full of possibilities. We therefore began by simply aiming to return the original symmetry of the palazzo in all its form and detailing”.
Local furniture retailer, Aria, occupies the ground floor and basement area while the building also contains three two-bed flats.
Speaking about the nomination, Taha said: “We are always proud to receive such nominations and awards, especially so for our clients and Islington where we live and work and in which all of our completed buildings have similarly won awards.”
Other buildings which are also shortlisted include 4 Pancras Square by Eric Parry Architects, Camden Mews by bere:architects and Highgate Bowl by HASA Architects.
The nominated buildings will be judged by a regional panel and the winners will be announced on Monday 20th May at 66 Portland Place, London.
The winners will then be considered for a RIBA National Award, in recognition of architectural excellence, with the results announced in June.
Winners of the National Award will be shortlisted for the RIBA Sterling Prize for the “best new building of the year” and will be announced in October.
