AR New into Old awards 2019 shortlist revealed

A shortlist of 16 exciting and creative interventions that give buildings a new lease of life across the world have been selected by our judging panel

We are delighted to reveal the 16 projects shortlisted for the AR New into Old awards. The shortlist was selected by our panel of judges, which includes Roz Barr, director and founder of Roz Barr Architects, Hugh Strange, founder of Hugh Strange Architects, and Catherine Slessor, writer, critic and former editor of The Architectural Review.

As the panel discussed criteria for the shortlist, they made it clear that they were looking for intelligent, transformative work, new solutions that could not be reduced to branding. ‘There’s such a global range of projects’ commented Roz Barr, ‘It’s not just about rethinking programme but the building fabric, and how that needs to adapt.’ Catherine Slessor posed that adaptation should leave its specialist niche, that as the climate crisis changes the stakes and demands sustainable alternatives to new construction, ‘the responsible architect might never build a new building.’

In comparing projects, the state and quality of the existing building remained a question: it is one thing to take an exemplary building and adapt it, but looking to the future we need solutions for more than the few extraordinary buildings: Hugh Strange made a particular note of instances where architects were ‘able to take a not-particularly-special building and provide a feat of alchemy, to create something quite magical out of something quite ordinary.’

Launched in 2017, the AR New into Old the awards recognise the imaginative appropriation of existing structures, from innovative insertions to ambitious adaptations, that offer buildings a new lease of life.

This year’s 16-strong shortlist includes projects all around the world, from Cambodia and Australia to Sweden and the UK. Programmes include educational buildings at Harvard and Oxford Universities, in Spain and rural China, galleries in Mexico City and Helsinki, and theatres in Barcelona and London. Projects vary in scale, from small domestic transformations in Japan to Sweden’s largest art museum, and are located in a wide range of climates, from the Mediterranean island of Mallorca to rain-lashed Scotland.

The winning building along with highly commended and commended projects will be announced online in early December and published in the AR December/January issue.

The 2019 shortlist

Ar new into old sl aulets arquitectes oenological station final 32

Oenological Station, Spain, by Aulets Arquitectes. Photo: José Hevia

Ar new into old sl bloom architecture co. ltd atelier kampot

Atelier Kampot, Cambodia, by Bloom Architecture. Photo: Nataly Lee

Ar new into old sl carmody groarke hill house credit johan dehlin

The Hill House Box, UK, by Carmody Groarke. Photo: Johan Dehlin

Ar new into old sl flores & prats sala beckett theatre and international drama centre

Sala Beckett, Spain, by Flores & Prats. Photo: Adrià Goula

Ar new into old sl hopkins architects smith campus center harvard university credit nic lehoux

Smith Campus Center, Harvard University, USA, by Hopkins Architects. Photo: Nic Lehoux

Ar new into old sl ian ritchie architects royal academy of music theatre and new recital hall (c) adam scott

Royal Academy of Music Theatre and new Recital Hall, UK, by Ian Ritchie Architects. Photo: Adam Scott

Ar new into old sl jkmm architects amos rex credit mika huisman

Amos Rex, Finland, by JKMM Architects. Photo: Mika Huisman

Ar new into old sl julia arquitectes associats sl emav can batlló

EMAV Can Batlló, Spain, by Julia Arquitectes Associats. Photo: Adrià Goula

Ar new into old sl mad architects clover house credit fuji koji

Clover House, Japan, by MAD Architects. Photo: Fuji Koji

Ar new into old sl max von werz arquitectos omr art gallery credit rory gardiner

OMR Art Gallery, Mexico, by Max von Werz, Mateo Riestra & José Arnaud-Bello. Photo: Rory Gardiner

Ar new into old sl partners hill install house

Install House, Australia, by Partners Hill. Photo: Michael Wee

Ar new into old sl rural urban framework, the university of hong kong rethinking the collective renovation strategies for the ancient tulou

Renovation strategies for the ancient tulou, China, by Rural Urban Framework + The University of Hong Kong. Photo: Rural Urban Framework

Ar new into old sl the architectural design & research institute of zhejiang uni renovation & renewal of qingyuan young professors’ club, zhejiang uni

Qingyuan Young Professors’ Club, Zhejiang University, China, by the Architectural Design and Research Institute of Zhejiang University