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Herzog & de Meuron, Studio Gang, and DS+R among those shortlisted for new Royal College of Art campus in South London

Battersea

Herzog & de Meuron, Studio Gang, and DS+R among those shortlisted for new Royal College of Art campus in South London

The Dyson Building in Battersea (Courtesy Richard Haughton / RCA)

The Royal College of Art (RCA) in London has a unveiled a shortlist of seven invited studios that will compete to design the school’s new $140 million campus in Battersea, South London. The list features practices from Europe and the U.S. including Swiss duo Herzog & de Meuron, Chicago-based Studio Gang and Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DSR) from New York.

Organized by Malcolm Reading Consultants, who claim that the college is set to “embark upon the most exciting phase of development” in its 179 year history, the RCA will align itself into being a primarily science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics-based institution. As a result, it aims to coalesce these disciplines to “create transformational impact in such areas as connected cities; robotics, the internet of things and intelligent mobility; sustainability, mass migration and city design.” Specifically, this will include the expansion of the RCA’s “research and knowledge exchange centers into the domains of computer and materials science, the impact of the digital economy, and intelligent mobility.”

The shortlisted practices are:

  • Christian Kerez (Switzerland)
  • Diller Scofidio + Renfro (U.S.)
  • Herzog & de Meuron (Switzerland)
  • Lacaton & Vassal (France)
  • Robbrecht en Daem architecten (Belgium)
  • Serie Architects (UK/Singapore)
  • Studio Gang (U.S.)

“At the centre of the Battersea South vision are the practices of artists and designers,” said Dean of Architecture Dr. Adrian Lahoud. “The project should support and inspire their work, offering an incredible opportunity to explore new frontiers in learning and research in art and design.”

Malcolm Reading, competition director, added: This is a dazzling list of architectural thought-leaders who have connected with a project that will create a renewed sense of place in this part of Battersea.  We very much look forward to the teams’ analyses of the brief at the second stage of the competition.”

The selection panel members include:

  • Dr. Paul Thompson (Chair)
  • Professor Naren Barfield
  • Richard Benson
  • Dr. Adrian Lahoud
  • Professor Judith Mottram
  • Baroness Gail Rebuck
  • Alan Leibowitz (lay member of Council)
  • Professor Ricky Burdett (lay member of Council)
  • Professor Rachel Cooper OBE (lay member of Council)
  • Paola Antonelli
  • Marcus Cole (student)
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