LSE reveals winner of its latest RIBA design competition
London-based practice David Chipperfield Architects with Feix&Merlin have been selected as the winners of the competition to design the London School of Economics and Political Science's (LSE) first net zero carbon building at 35 Lincoln’s Inn Fields - the Firoz Lalji Global Hub.
G&T is providing Cost Management services for The Firoz Lalji Hub which will house the Firoz Lalji Africa Institute, Executive Education, the Departments of Mathematics, Statistics and Methodology, the Data Science Institute and conference facilities that will help to connect and engage LSE’s global community. Large parts of the building will be retained as part of a commitment to a more resourceful and responsible approach to our future.
"A multi-faceted brief and a requirement to deliver the School's first net zero carbon building was a challenge for both the competing teams and LSE"Julian Robinson
Director of Estates and Jury Panel Member
Over 100 responses were received from architectural practices across the world, and six architectural teams were shortlisted for the School’s fourth RIBA design competition and the task of selecting the winning team for this £100m+ project fell to an LSE jury panel comprising Baroness Minouche Shafik (Director of LSE, Chair), Firoz Lalji (LSE alumnus and donor), Sir David Higgins (Chair of LSE Finance and Estates Committee), Julian Robinson (Director of Estates), Professor Ricky Burdett CBE, Professor Pauline Barrieu (Chair of Academic Board), Josie Stephens and Tilly Mason (LSE Students’ Union General Secretaries) and Shelley McNamara (Grafton Architects). G&T also worked closely with the LSE and RIBA to provide Cost Management advice to inform the jury panel's decision on the appointment.
Dame Minouche Shafik, Director of LSE, chaired the Jury Panel which made the final decision after presentations from the six shortlisted teams. She commented: “We had a difficult decision to make as the quality of the submissions proved to be extremely strong, but I’m pleased to announce David Chipperfield Architects with Feix and Merlin as the winner of our design competition for The Firoz Lalji Global Hub. This sustainable design solution follows the ethos of LSE, taking an existing building and adapting it for the 21st century. I have no doubt it will further enhance LSE’s status as a university with a world-class estate that matches its global academic reputation.”
Julian Robinson, Director of Estates and Jury Panel Member said: “This was our toughest competition yet! A multi-faceted brief and a requirement to deliver the School’s first net zero carbon building was a challenge for both the competing teams and LSE. As our last set piece project, it was essential we took time to get this decision right. We appreciate the enormous amount of intellectual creativity and effort expended by the competitors, but we could only select one winner. We believe David Chipperfield’s design was the most sustainable solution that achieved our brief requirements and provides LSE with a seminal piece of university architecture. It’s an inspiring design and I look forward to working with David Chipperfield and his team to deliver another outstanding project for the School.”
This project continues G&T's relationship with LSE, having worked with them on the recently completed Marshall Building.