UK Pavilion at World Expo 2010 takes Lubetkin Prize
30th June 2010
The prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Lubetkin Prize has been awarded to the UK Pavilion at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai.
In winning the prize, the Heatherwick Studio-designed structure saw off competition from O'Donnell and Tuomey's Timberyard Social Housing in Dublin and David Chipperfield Architects' Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Centre in Alaska.
The UK Pavilion, which is also known as the 'Seed Cathedral', is made from 60,000 7.5-metre aluminium rods in a timber frame. It sits on a landscaped area which has been designed to resemble a creased piece of paper.
RIBA president Ruth Reed commented: 'Congratulations to Heatherwick Studio for their first Lubetkin win with an outstanding emblem for Britain and its architecture amongst its peers in Shanghai.'
Designed to recognise outstanding works of international architecture by the organisation's members, the prize is named in honour of world-renowned architect Berthold Lubetkin.
Last year, the Lubetkin Prize went to the National Stadium in Beijing, which was designed by Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron.