Carbuncle Cup

The Carbuncle Cup was an architecture prize, given annually by the magazine Building Design to "the ugliest building in the United Kingdom completed in the last 12 months".[1] It was intended to be a humorous response to the prestigious Stirling Prize,[2] given by the Royal Institute of British Architects.[3]

Carbuncle Cup
Awarded forAnnual architecture prize given to the ugliest building in the United Kingdom
Sponsored byBuilding Design
First awarded2006; 18 years ago (2006)
Last awarded2018

The cup was launched in 2006, with the first winner being Drake Circus Shopping Centre in Plymouth by Chapman Taylor.[4] A shortlist was announced by the periodical each year, based on nominations from the public, and usually in the same week as the Stirling Prize shortlist. Free voting via the magazine's website was at first used to select the winner. From 2009 onwards, a small group of critics selected the winner.

The award was inspired by the Carbuncle Awards that Scottish architecture magazine Prospect (now Urban Realm), had been presenting to buildings and areas in Scotland since 2000.[5]

The name derives from a comment in 1984 by the then Prince of Wales Charles III, an opponent of certain modernist styles and forms and a staunch defender of existing characterisations, themes and points of interest, who described Ahrends, Burton and Koralek's proposed extension of London's National Gallery as a "monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant friend".[6][7]

The event was last held in 2018.

Winners and nominees

YearArchitectWinning workNominees and works
2006Chapman Taylor
Drake Circus Shopping Centre,
Plymouth[8]
2007Stephen George & Partners Opal Court,
Leicester[9]
2008EPR Architects Radisson SAS Waterfront hotel,
Saint Helier, Jersey[2][10]
2009Hamilton Architects Liverpool Ferry Terminal,
Liverpool[11][12]
2010BFLS Strata SE1,
Elephant & Castle, London[14]
2011Fairhurst, Chapman Taylor and Wilkinson Eyre MediaCityUK,
Salford, Greater Manchester[15]
2012Grimshaw Architects Cutty Sark Renovation,
Greenwich, London[17]
2013Stephen George & Partners 465 Caledonian Road,
University College London[19]
2014Sheppard Robson Woolwich Central,
Woolwich, London[21]
2015Rafael Viñoly 20 Fenchurch Street ('The Walkie-Talkie'), City of London[23]
2016Hamiltons Architects Lincoln Plaza,
Isle of Dogs, London[25][26][27]
2017PLP Architecture Nova Victoria, City of Westminster, London[29][30][31]
2018BDP Redrock Stockport, Stockport, Greater Manchester[34]
  • Pace Jefford Moore Architects for 20 Ambleside Avenue, Streatham, London
  • Boyes Rees Architects for Beckley Point, Plymouth
  • Rolfe Judd for Haydn Tower, Vauxhall, London
  • PRP Architects for Lewisham Gateway, Lewisham, London
  • Signature Living for Shankly Hotel, Liverpool[35]

See also

References