Muyiwa Oki: The Latest Architecture and News

From Milan's Scalo Farini to downtown Chicago, and from the Tuscan countryside to the UK's retrofit initiatives, recent announcements demonstrate how architecture is evolving in response to climate goals, cultural identity, and urban transformation. Herzog & de Meuron's new headquarters for UniCredit will anchor one of Europe's largest redevelopment sites with a focus on sustainability and workplace innovation, while Gensler's stadium design for Chicago Fire FC aims to redefine the U.S. matchday experience as part of a major waterfront development. In Tuscany, Alvisi Kirimoto's Sapaio Pavilion merges agricultural production with architectural sensitivity, and in the UK, RIBA and The King's Foundation are advancing retrofit as a national agenda. Meanwhile, finalists including MVRDV, Heatherwick Studio, and Mecanoo are advancing in an international competition to create a climate landmark intended to inspire large-scale behavioral change. This edition of Architecture Now brings together diverse yet interconnected efforts to shape how architecture can support long-term ecological, cultural, and civic impact.

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The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced that Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, founders of the practice SANAA, will receive the 2025 Royal Gold Medal for architecture. Awarded on behalf of His Majesty the King, the medal is one of the highest honors in the field, recognizing what RIBA describes as SANAA's contribution to shaping contemporary architecture through simplicity, light, and refined design.

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The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) awarded its 2024 International Prize to Modulus Matrix, an 85-unit social housing development in Cornellà, near Barcelona. Designed by Peris + Toral Arquitectes, the six-story timber-framed building is a notable example of innovative social housing design. Its modular structure, based on a 3.6m x 3.6m grid inspired by traditional Japanese homes, creates a flexible and adaptable living space. The design prioritizes cross-ventilation, dual orientation, and a central communal courtyard, fostering social interaction and community building.

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The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) have just announced the news of their latest exhibition titled "Difficult Sites: Architecture Against the Odds." Showcasing "architectural achievement in the face of tricky and uncompromising sites," the exhibition will take place at the RIBA Architecture Gallery, 66 Portland Place, London, from October 11, 2024, to March 29, 2025. The showcase features prominent works from renowned architects like Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, Neave Brown, and Lord Norman Foster, as well as contemporary practices such as Tonkin Liu, KnoxBhavan, and Carmody Groarke.

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The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has revealed the six shortlisted projects for the 2024 RIBA Stirling Prize. Awarded annually since 1996, this represents one the most important architecture prizes in the United Kingdom, striving to reward and highlight projects that envision a more inclusive future and engage actively with current challenges of the built environment. The selected works range in scale and program, from a national art gallery to an inclusive rural retreat, major urban regeneration projects, and even a London underground line. While some of the selected architects have received previous awards, including Mikhail Riches for the Goldsmith Street in 2019 and Jamie Fobert for New Tate St Ives in 2018, other architects such as Clementine Blakemore Architects and Al-Jawad Pike are at their first nomination.

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The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has unveiled the 26 winners of the 2024 RIBA National Awards for Architecture, recognizing the finest examples of UK architecture and showcasing the country's design and social trends. Established in 1996, the awards highlight outstanding architectural projects across the UK, from Northern Ireland and Scotland to the south of England. This year's award celebrates projects that feature "inspiring examples of existing buildings and structures that have been given a new lease of life." Recognized for intelligent design and collaboration with clients and local communities, the award winners also showcase innovative construction techniques and thoughtful material selections.

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The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has just announced that Chris Williamson has been elected as the next RIBA President. One of the highest positions in UK Architecture, RIBA is a professional body for architects established to promote excellence and provide support and resources to architects and architecture students. As RIBA’s 2025 President, Chris Williamson will take up office as President-Elect from September 2024, followed by a two-year presidential term taking over from Muyiwa Oki beginning September 2025.

On behalf of His Majesty the King, Ghanian-Scottish architect Lesley Lokko has been officially awarded the 2024 Royal Gold Medal for Architecture. Held at RIBA London headquarters, the medal was presented by RIBA President Muyiwa Oki, acknowledging Lokko’s dedication to promoting diverse perspectives in architectural practice and education. As the curator of the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale, she has been working to explore the overlaps between architecture and race, while shifting focus to Africa and its diaspora in the industry.

Ghanaian-Scottish architect, academic, and curator Lesley Lokko has been announced as the recipient of the 2024 Royal Gold Medal by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), becoming the first African woman to receive the award. Lokko is not a practicing architect, but as a teacher, writer, and curator she has fought to widen access to the profession and to bring forward voices that have been disregarded for far too long. As the curator of the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale, she has shifted the focus to Africa and its diaspora, exploring the complex themes of decolonization and decarbonization. For all her contributions to the profession, Lesley Lokko will be formally presented with the medal in May 2024 by Muyiwa Oki, RIBA’s first black president.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the six projects selected for the shortlist of the 2023 RIBA Stirling Prize. The annual award is one of the United Kingdom's most prestigious recognitions in the field of architecture, judging projects on a range of criteria, including design vision, innovation, originality, and the capacity to engage and delight the occupants and visitors. Sustainability and accessibility are also crucial conditions for the selection. This edition’s shortlist includes projects by architects such as Apparata, Sergison Bates Architects, and Adam Khan Architects, featuring for the first time at the Stirling Awards Shortlist, as well as practices that have previously won, Witherford Watson Mann Architects and Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios.

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Muyiwa Oki has been elected as the next President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), one of the highest positions in UK architecture. As RIBA's first Black President, Muyiwa Oki will take over the two-year presidential term from Simon Alfred starting on 1 September 2023.