Ian Ritchie Architects along with Jane Wernick Associates, engineers, and Ann Christopher, sculptor, are one of six finalists shortlisted for the National Grid Pylon Competition. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) ran the competition in partnership with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). They received 250 applications from around the globe and the expert panel will select winning designs in October. Sara L'Esperance led the design concept at Ian Ritchie Architects.
We were one of 33 designers invited to prepare designs for a memorial to the fall of the Berlin Wall in October 1989.
It was pivotal moment and symbolised both freedom and reunification for the people of a country and a city. A period of history healed in a peaceful moment of coming together and opening up.
A stadium of at least a 60,000 capacity, with a unique character built around the world-renowned Kop, and we set out to design one for £250 million. If we could, it could completely change the club’s situation. We felt compelled to do it. We have the skills, motivation and the willpower, and our office has been supported by professional and construction colleagues in Germany with vast experience in stadium design and their construction.
In July 2008 Ian Ritchie Architects Ltd were invited to undertake a feasibility study which would parallel a fundraising assessment and help the Chichester Festival Theatre to understand the scale and costs of options for improving its setting, renewal, transformation and new facilities of its estate, and their chances of success.
Designed by Ian Ritchie Architects Ltd with ARUP for Base-MK. The site is on the corner of Satpaeva Street and Dijrzinsky Street in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and forms part of the western edge of Republic Square. The design intention is to create a city centre focus and to make a major new contribution to the skyline of the Almaty.
We were invited in 2007 to explore the potential of a new stadium for Bursaspor together with a multi- sports centre including an Olympic standard swimming pool. The raised level enabled a ground level piazza to be created to the south of the stadium with retail on two levels and the integration of the swimming pool basketball and other sporting facilities beneath the extended floating roof.
This master plan for Almaty’s new financial district was prepared by SOM and they were undertaking the first phase of buildings. BASE-MK requested us to investigate the potential development on the phase 2 site, and to propose an architecture that would meet the aspiration of the emerging market there, as well as bring more advanced environmental design thinking.
The project consisted of establishing ‘marker’ buildings on four separate sites along Al Farabi Street, each with a site footprint of a little over 100m2. The purpose was to help invigorate the upper part of the street and to create identifiable buildings which would help establish BASE0-MK as a forward thinking developer in Kazakhstan.
The shot-peening provides a soft feel. The products include a range of door levers and fixed handles with escutcheon plates, cabinet pull handles and coat hooks. The range was developed from an investigation of tactile qualities and we used our rapid prototyping facilities to help deliver mock ups for assessment.
At the top of each Menhir there is a glass tip or a ‘free’ reflector which will be illuminated at night. A light shines towards Holyhead town centre, the Irish Sea and Dublin, reflecting the town’s maritime history and its connection to the Irish capital, while a soft glow is emitted towards the harbour.
The site for the project is located on the south bank of the Liffey Quays in Dublin’s Docklands. Bounded by City Quay, Princes Street South and Gloucester Street South, the northern quayside portion of the site falls within an archaeological zone. To the west is a group of protected structures: City Quay Church, Presbytery including associated gates, piers and railings.
Ian Ritchie Architects with Schlaich Bergermann und Partner won the competition from a shortlist of six international teams in 2006 to design a new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the River Avon in Stratford-upon-Avon. It bridges the town to the recreation grounds, the latter lying within the flood plain of the Avon.
A study of complementary land use, development phasing and transport in terms of economic, social and environmental sustainability is leading towards a master plan that will take account of major future risks and opportunities for the developer and community who would be involved in its development and occupation.
It is one of two schemes evaluated by London Borough of Hackney and the GLA.The Scheme aspires to create an exemplar Thames Gateway mixed use development, including a welcoming and easily accessible riverside public walkway, public and private amenity spaces, contemporary residential accommodation, and some commercial uses suitable to this location on both the Thames riverside walk and near to Purfleet’s railway station and future Purfleet Centre proposals.
The King Solomon Academy, designed by Ian Ritchie Architects, engineered by Arup, costed by DL, constructed by Willmott Dixon and sponsored by the charity ARK, was completed in November 2009. The King Solomon Academy is partly accommodated within the existing Grade 2* listed school buildings by Leonard Manasseh built in 1959/60. Two new buildings on the site accommodate a primary school, specialist music and drama rooms, and a sports facility.
The Royal Shakespeare Company has a new temporary theatre. It received planning permission on 10th March 2005 from the Stratford-on-Avon District Council It is known as the Courtyard Theatre and was completed in June 2006. It will be home to the RSC's main ensemble from 2007and be used during the Complete Works Festival from July 7th 2006, starting with Michael Boyd's Henry VI trilogy.
The design for the new Shepherd’s Bush Central Line Station forms part of the family of transport infrastructure enhancements to improve public access to the area. Ian Ritchie Architects were commissioned by Chelsfield plc in December 1997 to re- conceive a Master Plan and the architecture for the urban regeneration of approximately 15 hectares at White City, West London, as a regional shopping and leisure destination together with new public transport interchanges, community facilities and housing.
Ian Ritchie Architects were commissioned by Chelsfield plc in December 1997 to re-conceive a Master Plan and Architecture for the urban regeneration of approximately 15 hectares at White City, London, as a local and regional shopping and leisure destination together with the creation of new public transport interchanges and community facilities for west London.
Our concept is based upon the BMW factory being concealed, secretive yet fascinating - a beautiful mystery full of dreams. There are no factory buildings visible as the wind gently moves the silver-white curtains, creating a landscape theatre. Occasionally, the curtain lifts or moves apart to give glimpses of the stage where cars are made.
By adopting an organisational model inspired by ocean liners, a high density of apartments is achieved. Constructional techniques of in-situ concrete cross walls, precast concrete floors and glazed screen elevations provide the essential qualities of speed and economy of construction, while creating acoustically separated apartments enjoying ample natural daylight and ventilation.
At their White City site The BBC shortlisted three architectural practices to submit master planning proposals for a new administrative headquarters with digital ‘playout’ facilities. The proposal is a coherent urban design strategy which aims to point the way forward towards an urban regeneration for the whole area.
The success of any metro architecture is the clarity, convenience, comfort and pleasure it offers the commuter. Our proposed planning and architectural concept of ‘light as an icon’ responded to these concerns in the three key areas: the sense of welcome in the entrances, the spatial and light qualities of the journey down to the platforms and the platform environment.
Magna Carta was written in 1215. Begun in1220, the Cathedral's buildings are unique in that they were all built in one period over several decades. The composition of the Cathedral with the Vestry, Chapter House, the Cloister and the surrounding landscape creates an exceptional spatial context for the new building.
We were selected as one of three international practices to compete for the design of the new headquarters and production facilities for DR, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation. The brief was for a master plan to amalgamate all administrative and production facilities for Danish television and radio and to create an open and publicly permeable complex which will respond to the new challenges of digital broadcasting including two new public concert halls.
Our exhibition proposal entitled "Water, Gold of the 21st Century", was won in competition and installed inside Europe's tallest gasometer in Autumn 2001. It enjoyed an extended run until 28th April 2002, by which time more than 290,000 people had seen it. The project was sponsored by RWE, and produced by Gasometer GmbH. "What in water did Bloom, water lover, drawer of water, water carrier returning to the range, admire? Its universality: its democratic quality." (James Joyce, Ulysses)
Shepherd's Bush Green is central to the regeneration and perception of Shepherd's Bush Town Centre. It plays an important role in connecting the Whitecity commercial development with the town centre shops, the surrounding facilities and residential areas. It is a significant public open space and an important local landmark.
The weaving together of the beauty of trapped light, and the complete light-powered personal communicator incorporating huge optical memory storage has inspired us to propose a woven fabric of changing light which communicates Milan’s world renown as the centre of fashion and design style, quality and innovation.
The Hayward Gallery, London, invited Ian Ritchie Architects to design the first ever exhibition dedicated to sound art - an exhibition curated by David Toop. The architecture was on the verge of absence.
The layout of the art pieces allowed them to be experienced fully both individually and as a sequence. Particular attention was given to the route through the whole installation and to the emotional journey.The approach challenges the progressive parcelling up of land and the resultant island developments that have characterised much of London’s development during the latter half of the 20th century. The "island" buildings that have resulted may be fundamentally undermining an integrated social, legal and visual urbanity that has developed over the last few centuries.
As part of Glasgow’s celebrations of its year as UK City of Architecture and Design 1999, The Ideal Hut Show was organised by Neil Baxter, for which a number of local and international architects, artists and designers were invited to rethink the standard garden shed. The huts were to create a streetscape for two weeks in the Botanic Gardens.
We were commissioned in 1999 by Warwick Charlton of Spacetime Centre Ltd.to develop the architectural concept for his and Stephen Hawking's Spacetime Centre. The Centre has the endorsement and participation of Professor Stephen Hawking, whose best selling book 'A Brief History of Time' inspired the idea. The architectural concept is based upon a number of spheres and hemispheres below, upon and above a ground plane which house immersive theatres.
In 1998, Ian Ritchie Architects won an invited competition to design the new television HQ for the European TV channel, ARTE, in Strasbourg. This building would centralise all production studios, administration and public facilities. The design was developed to maximise energy efficiency, and to create a healthy naturally ventilated environment for all spaces except TV studios.
Three new elements – a gatehouse, a rail station and toilets announce the arrival at Ferropolis, City of Steel, a new venue for music and opera in the industrial wasteland near Gräfenhainichen, a town near Dessau, Germany. The strange, almost lunar landscape and the extraordinary strip mining machines form a museum to man’s exploitation of the ‘hard black stuff’.
Ian Ritchie Architects were commissioned by Chelsfield PLC in December 1997 to reconceive a Master Plan and Architecture for the urban regeneration of approximately 19 hectares at White City, London, as a local and regional shopping and leisure destination together with the creation of new public transport interchanges for west London.
The intention of the New Production Centre is to create a Centre of Excellence, providing the facilities and flexibility for the Theatre Royal to maintain its outstanding home productions, for the Main Theatre, Drum, and Pavilions, as well as for associate productions, such as the previous successes of Buddy, Jolson and Oliver. The facility will centralise all the production activities, including the construction of sets, costumes and props, combined with rehearsal and education spaces.
Ian Ritchie Architects won an international competition in June 1997 to design innovative social housing on a site in East Glasgow overlooking Glasgow Green. The client, Thenew Housing Association, are being supported by Scottish Homes and Glasgow UK City of Architecture & Design 1999. The 1999 programme’s aim is to celebrate the best in contemporary architecture and design to improve the quality of living in the city.
Ian Ritchie Architects have extended their offices. The new building extends the upper floor over the existing parking area, enabling all staff to be regrouped on the upper level. The design is based upon contrasting textures and materials. A plain new silver extension - shot-peened stainless steel and glass walls - contrasts with the articulated existing yellow brick 1900 building.
Our design concept is to cross the Thames from riverbank to riverbank in one span as a gentle curve and in a straight line which is not quite perpendicular to both banks of the river. A bridge where you can feel the scale of the structure at the beginning of the crossing and touch it again when you leave.
In 1996, Ian Ritchie Architects won the competition to design the new Rotunda History Centre extension to the Museum of London, on London Wall in the City. The architectural objectives are to create an outstanding addition to the museum which at the same time makes access easier and gives the museum more public identity.
In November 1996, Ian Ritchie Architects were successful in an invited competition against an international selection of architects renowned for their design with glass and steel, to lead the design of a leisure centre on the site of the original Crystal Palace at Sydenham in South London, and within the Crystal Palace Park designed by Joseph Paxton.
- The requirements included a 200m indoor athletic track with full back-up accommodation capable of meeting IAAF standards for international events. In addition, the brief required that the building could adapt to many other sporting uses and achieve high environmental performance and low running costs.
The siting, form and external architecture of this theatre have been influenced by this world heritage site. History, gravitas, stone, the space and light qualities of the riverspace, the spectacular views, night-time illumination of the Tower and Tower Bridge, the park by the river and the tourists appropriation of the riverside park, have all contributed to our conceptual thinking.
The Royal Victoria Dock has a dramatic water vista and the bridge should intervene as delicately as possible in this view. Our concept is a late twentieth century interpretation of the rope suspension bridge. To capture the essence of such a simple idea within rigorous technical, safety, maintenance and economic criteria provided a considerable aesthetic and performance challenge.
Ian Ritchie Architects were invited in 1995 by Electricité de France to compete against 7 other teams in an international competition to design a new series of very high voltage pylons - 225kV and 400kV. The concept was developed upon a philosophical investigation into the contemporary meaning of progress. The design concept is based upon a single level configuration of the conductors, which reduces the height of pylons producing a horizontal and discreet expression.
Our design provides a dramatic and coherent lightweight solution which responds to the needs of the market traders and offers weather protection without significantly reducing daylight. We have approached the design of both the bridge and the canopy to ensure low capital cost, simple maintenance and long life.
The optimum design solution for bridges is usually set by context and here the context is not about taming wild water or traversing a deep gorge. Instead, the water is flat and peaceful, disturbed occasionally by human interventions – fishing and boating. This perception led to our concept, of the aits (small islands) – an interpretation of stepping stones. It offered an environmentally sensitive and adaptable solution.
The TUC Headquarters is a listed building in Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London, built in 1959. It contains a Conference Hall located under a courtyard in the centre of the building. Its roof consists of glazed hexagonal roof lights set into elaborate leadwork upstands and gutters. The TUC report that it has leaked since the time it was first built.
The centre provides permanent facilities for local, national and international rowing activities organized by the Royal Albert Dock Trust. The site is located at the Northwestern corner of the Royal Albert Dock adjacent to the finishing line of the newly extended 2000 metre long rowing course, providing London and the southeast of England with its first olympic standard rowing facility.
Having won an international competition in 1992, Professor Marg invited Ian Ritchie Architects to collaborate with him together with IPP Ingenieurbüro and HL-Technik in the design and realisation of the huge glass "wintergarden" which is the centrepiece of the new Leipzig International Exhibition Centre.
The greenhouse leans symbolically against the hill. Its clear glass flat roof reflects, like a lake, the changing sky and the foliage of the surrounding trees.The building was conceived as a reference library and research centre on plants as well as a public performance space for theatre, conferences, exhibitions and other municipal events. It has also been conceived to be a peaceful sheltered space and a tea house in the garden project designed by the landscape artist Kathryn Gustafson.
Ian Ritchie Architects were invited to a limited international competition to design an academy on the site of a former coal pit in Herne in August 1991. The buildings containing the seminar rooms, administration, residential accommodation and leisure facilities are placed along a new landscape route connecting the town centres of Herne and Sodingen through a new woodland park.
Bermondsey is one of 11 stations for the proposed East London Extension of the London Underground Jubilee Line. The design seeks to bring a perceptible sensitivity and ambiance to the public through the use of natural light and clear spatial experience. This is expressed on the surface and within the station and in so doing responds positively to the demands of security, durability and safety.
Four gently cambered steel bridges, some inclined, some horizontal, seemingly suspended from fragile glass walls. The bridges connect the different themes of the exhibition and the generously curved deck of each bridge is a pause in space offering a glimpse of man in his surroundings - a visual game of "reflective hide and seek with the environment".
Our design approach was more subtle, and consisted of a series of five towers from 15 to 30 floors enveloped in a glazed gossamer. The towers are connected by voids within which are suspended landscaped meeting spaces, and bridges between the vertical circulation cores. An expansive glass canopy spreads out from the voids to create a covered public gallery and gardens. Within is located a World Language Museum embracing oral cultural traditions as well as presenting the evolution and diversity of the spoken language.
Commissioned in October 1988 to design, detail and supervise the construction within 52 weeks to a fixed budget of a 90,000 ft sq industrial/office facility building in the celebrated Stockley Park Development. The concept of the building, arranged on 3 floors caters for single or multi-tenancy occupation, and is the first of this size at Stockley Park to allow this.
'Poiesis is the cause which makes whatever one considers change from non-being to being' (Plato)
....In a japanese bay, a gigantic ring of water and light harbours a vessel. From this point, using the world wide teletext network, a computer image is assembled and rediffused by TV channels all over the world. Over and above languages and cultures, Men create a never-ending work of Art; an image reflecting the interrelations and the complexity of our Universe....Dubai's memory is linked to the historical, natural and intellectual richness of the Arabo-Persian Gulf. Although pearl diving no longer exists off Dubai's shores, the pearls from Dubai are still alive in the whole world's memory. This monument, together with the proposed museum beneath the Pearl, will set the scene for this idea of "memory" linked to the Gulf: water, sea, life and energy. The life-giving sea bordering the park recalls to all visitors these symbols.
The new landscape will provide the business community with a landscaped sanctuary which, complementing the historic infrastructure will enhance its sense of place. The office buildings along the northern boundary are conceived with an internal daylit street, along which are located the service cores to the individual office units/floors.
The planetarium will hold 300 spectators floating on a glass floor in the middle of a 30m (100ft) diameter sphere. Co- ordinated images will be projected in vector fields onto upper and lower hemispherical surfaces. These will combine to produce a total illusion of floating in space or moving through space, with the possibility of upper and lower star field and planetary object images moving together to reinforce a three-dimensional effect of movement in any direction.
The architecture of the scheme was informed by a need to respect the quality of the existing conservation area riverside housing, to create positively a 'street-house' relationship, both on Narrow Street and within the new development itself, consistent with the historical residential footprint of the area and to create a meaningful urban landscape.
The challenge to the chemist was to accept the 'village' location, as against the "High Street" and in this recognition to believe in the public service he was providing, in particular to the old and mothers and children. The architecture thus stepped back from the road edge and the shop opened up as a generous and welcoming volume, with its reception service table, including magazines and toys as its - the opposite to hard sell - more soft, concerned service.
The concept is based on land movement, and sets out to achieve an exciting, active and educational centre for the archaeology and reconstruction of historic boats. Opposite the Naval College at Greenwich, on the north bank of the Thames, it forms a stone amphitheatre to the water edge, thus allowing the River Thames to become the stage, the Naval College architecture of Christopher Wren and Inigo Jones to be the stage set, and the Royal Greenwich Observatory to be the fly tower.
“Up on the fourth floor of a heavy piece of architecture on the Quai de la Megisserie in Paris is a perfectly normal two-floor high courtyard, the ordinariness of its ‘backwall’ architecture accentuated by the dark grey paint with which it has been masked. Within it the young advertising executives and "creative" personnel rush about their business clutching portfolios and chattering in a variety of languages. Then some of them step out into space….
We designed the first scheme in 1982 for PA Technology and Science at Cambridge as the result of a recommendation from Richard Rogers. The requirement was for a fermentation plant test facility. PATS subsequently requested that we designed a flexible building that had the potential to be a biotechnology laboratory, or a clean room.
RFR were asked to review the scheme design of the Pyramid structure and glazing in 1985, and some months later to design and erect a full scale mock-up on the site for review by President Mitterand, M. Chirac, and M. Pei. In 1987 RFR acted as consultants to EPGL/Pei/Macary to control and refine the design of the structure with CFEM/EIFFEL, the contractor.
An essay in sequential space, geometry and light/shade modulation. The client's wish for a bird form is translated through the articulated structure and suspended wing; the tail as a trapped 'crystal greenhouse' protecting plants as a counterpoint to the natural landscape; the movement of the external blinds as a play on ruffling feathers responding to the climate; the loft (bird's head) as the focus and energy centre.
'Living in a garden beneath a well insulated umbrella'. Minimal, functional and seasonal performance - user determined, rational, reductive yet energy intelligent with a personal architectural expression. Minimal, functional and seasonal performance - user determined, rational, reductive yet energy intelligent with a personal architectural expression.