by Don Barker

The month of June, 2001 saw the start of the fifth annual Architecture Week in the United Kingdom, an initiative supported and managed by the Arts Council of England in association with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and endorsed by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE).

The aim of the weeklong frenzy of talks, exhibitions, and building tours is to raise the awareness of architecture. Even though architecture is all around us, the discipline is still perceived by some as a mystical art. The annual event sets out to demystify the subject by making it more accessible and enjoyable.

The celebration involved over 150 organizers and 300 events throughout the UK.

Previewing the Stirling Prize

The week started with RIBA revealing the list of 53 buildings from which the £20,000 Stirling Prize winner will be chosen in October, 2001. The prize is named after the late Sir James Stirling, one of the UK's most innovative architects.

The prize is awarded annually for the building that has had the greatest impact on British architecture. Last year the prize went to Alsop and Stormer's Peckham Library in South London. This year's list of buildings includes 49 from around Britain and four from Europe.

Foster and Partners' Great Court at the British Museum was the venue for lectures and films during the UK Architecture Week in June. Photo: Don Barker One of the unusual sculptures at NIcholas Grimshaw's Eden Project, looking towards the Humid Tropics Biome. The project in Wild Cornwall is a favorite for the 2001 Stirling Prize. Photo: Don Barker   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.