RIBA Stirling Prize 2007 Stirling Prize Shortlist

Date Published:

23/06/2008

America's Cup Building
David Chipperfield Architects - Valencia

Credit: Richard Walch

Lit up in striking yellow by night, this building and park were the social focal point for the 2007 America's Cup, the world's premier sailing racing competition, staged in Europe for the first time in over 150 years. An unmistakable local landmark, it's also the centrepiece of the re-organised old industrial port of Valencia.

Credit: DCA

The building is a stacked concrete structure with white steel trim; a ceiling of white metal panels; external floors of solid timber, and internal floors of white resin. The challenge for future generations will be to find new uses for the building when the America's Cup circus has moved out of town, but it has an inherent flexibility. For the meantime we can enjoy it for what it is: a sporty and nautical building, very light on its feet and thoroughly appropriate to its function.

Museum of Modern Literature

David Chipperfield Architects - Marbach am Neckar, Germany
WINNER: RIBA STIRLING PRIZE 2007

Following re-unification, texts of German authors previously dispersed to east and west have been brought together in this new museum.

Credit: Jorg Von Bruchhausen

The entrance sequence is brilliant. The visitor crosses an open terrace overlooking the valley, then negotiates a series of shallow steps to enter through giant hardwood doors. A staircase descends to the collections with their required diminishing light levels. The route concludes in the permanent collection. Here glass cases, containing original manuscripts, form a magical flickering landscape.

Credit: Christian Richters

There are many things to praise about this building - the architect's control and discrimination in the choice of materials has by now become a signature - but above all it is in the handling of the 'difficult whole' that the building excels.

Watch the 3MW video of the America's Cup Building and the 2007 RIBA Stirling Prize Winner >>