The second phase of the regeneration of Sheffield’s listed Park Hill council estate is up against the masterplan for the regeneration of King’s Cross and the Elizabeth Line on the shortlist for this year’s RIBA Stirling Prize. They are among six projects in the running for the annual award, which has recognised Britain’s best new architecture since 1996.
In a bid to retain as much of Park Hill’s 1950s structure as possible, while creating an energy-efficient environment, architects Mikhail Riches used thermal imaging to identify problem areas and develop solutions. The shortlisted projects also include Chowdhury Walk, an infill development of 11 homes by Hackney Council. The dwellings are constructed from cross-laminated timber and the scheme’s good fabric efficiency has enabled residents to benefit from a significant improvement in actual versus predicted energy use, according to the judges’ citation.
The other shortlisted projects are the 67 acre King’s Cross masterplan, the Elizabeth Line, the remodelling of the National Portrait Gallery, and Wraxall Yard, the conversion of a Dorset farm into holiday homes for disabled people.
