RIAS unveils five-strong shortlist for Scotland's best building

RIAS has unveiled the shortlist for the 2024 Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland award, which includes projects by Moxon Architects, John McAslan + Partners, Page\Park Architects and Reiach and Hall Architects.

The five projects in the running to be Scotland's best building include three renovated buildings – The Burrell Collection by John McAslan + Partners, The Fruitmarket Gallery by Reiach and Hall Architects and Ardoch by Moxon Architects.

The other two projects in the running are North Gate Social Housing by Page\Park Architects and the University of Aberdeen Science and Teaching Hub by Reiach and Hall Architects.

According to the jury, the buildings chosen represent the variety of high-quality, contemporary buildings in Scotland.

"Choosing a shortlist for this year's Doolan Award was both an honour and a challenge: there was a wealth of ambitious projects worthy of further celebration," said chair of the Doolan Award jury David Kohn.

"The unanimously chosen final five demonstrate the breadth of contemporary Scottish architecture, from the finely-crafted to the handsomely urbane, from the revitalising of national treasures to state-of-the-art facilities."

Launched in 2002 to "showcase the exceptional talent of architects working in Scotland", the RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland award is held annually by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.

The five-strong shortlist was drawn from the winners of the 2024 RIAS Awards, which were announced in June, with the winner set to be announced on 22 November.

John McAslan + Partners renovation of The Burrell Collection is one of two projects in Glasgow. The studio carried out an extensive renovation and reconfiguration of the gallery, which was originally designed by Barry Gasson Architects in the early 1980s.

Also in Glasgow is the North Gate Social Housing by Page\Park Architects, which contains 31 apartments along with a communal lounge, kitchen, activity area, bike store and laundry. 

The project is also shortlisted for RIBA's Neave Brown Award for Housing, which celebrates the best affordable housing in the UK.

In central Edinburgh, Reiach and Hall Architects were shortlisted for the renovation and extension of The Fruitmarket Gallery, which was previously renovated by Richard Murphy Architects.

The final two projects are in Aberdeenshire with the University of Aberdeen Science and Teaching Hub, which contains laboratories and teaching space, being is Reiach and Hall Architects second project on the list.

Moxon Architects' renovation of a small cluster of 19th-century farm buildings into a guesthouse and private artist's studio completes the list.

Both Reiach and Hall Architects and Page\Park Architects have previously won the Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland award twice – Reiach & Hall Architects for The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Caithness Archive in Wick and the Pier Arts Centre in Orkney, while Page\Park Architects won for the Saunders Centre, Science & Technology Building in Glasgow and the Maggie's Centre in Inverness.

Last year the award was won by a remote house named Cuddymoss by architecture practice Ann Nisbet Studio.

The main image of The Fruitmarket Gallery is by Broad Daylight.

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