LONDON.- The Architecture Drawing Prize exhibition at Sir John Soane's Museum in London has now opened. It features drawings by the finalists and category winners of the 2023 Architecture Drawing Prize.

Louise Stewart, Director of Sir John Soane's Museum says: “Along with producing his own buildings, Sir John Soane sought to inspire young architects to learn from the built world around them, and did so through using drawings in innovative ways.The Architecture Drawing Prize continues this tradition, showcasing new work that celebrates draughtsmanship, skill and innovation.”

This year’s Architecture Drawing Prize exhibition at Sir John Soane’s Museum takes the visionary as its theme. The curators are combining selected drawings from the Prize with examples from Soane’s collection to showcase how drawing is at the very heart of expressing innovation and design intent in architecture. A reading table dedicated to exceptional drawings through the history of architecture will enable visitors to contextualise the exhibited contemporary drawings from the Prize.

Other highlights of the exhibition are the 2023 Category winners’ works that are notable for their play on the idea of representation and pictorial conventions. The three winning drawings are:

Hand-drawn category: ‘Grundtvig’ by Ben Johnson – United Kingdom

Digital Category: ‘The Archatographic Map of the Incomplete Landscape on Pedra Branca’ by Eugene Tan - Singapore

Hybrid Category: ‘(Re)membering the See Monster’ by Eldry John Infante - Philippines

The Overall Winner of The Architecture Drawing Prize will be announced on 29 January ahead of the exhibition opening.

Ken Shuttleworth, founder of Make Architects who originally set up The Architecture Drawing Prize, comments:

“The annual exhibition at Sir John Soane Museum is what makes this Prize programme so special and we welcome seeing the selected entrants’ work celebrated in London in this way by both our profession and the wider public from around the world.”

The Prize

The Architecture Drawing Prize is now in its 7th year. It is a collaboration between Sir John Soane's Museum, Make Architects and the World Architecture Festival.

The Prize had a record number of entries in 2023, attracting submissions from around the world, representing today’s best and most innovative architectural drawings. The extent to which drawings make a proposition about the possibilities of architecture is an important criterion in the judging process as are technical skill and originality of approach. The 2023 Prize was judged by:

·Nikki Bell and Ben Langlands, Artists
·Pablo Bronstein, Artist
·Paul Finch, Director of World Architecture Festival (Chair of Jury)
·Lily Jencks, Co-founder of Lily Jencks Studio, Jencks Squared
·Federica Minozzi, CEO Iris Ceramica Group
·Narinder Sagoo, Senior Partner at Foster + Partners
·Ken Shuttleworth, Founder of Make Architects
·Louise Stewart, Head of Exhibitions at Sir John Soane’s Museum

The Architecture Drawing Prize is generously supported by the Italian company Iris Ceramica Group, one of world leaders in the production of high-end ceramic surfaces.
Federica Minozzi, CEO of Iris Ceramica Group and Prize Judge, says:

“We are really honoured to sponsor the Award. The Architecture Drawing Prize is a brilliant opportunity to demonstrate the genius of people and the desire to experiment. Hence the importance of it: it assumes a prominent role in reflecting architectural creativity.”

To view the winning and shortlisted 2023 Architecture Drawing Prize follow this LINK

The Architecture Drawing Prize is co-curated by Make Architects, Sir John Soane’s Museum and World Architecture Festival (WAF), and the 2023 sponsor is Iris Ceramica Group with ArchDaily and Floornature as Prize media partners.

Sir John Soane’s Museum

Sir John Soane’s house, museum and library at No. 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields has been a national museum since the early nineteenth century. On his appointment as Professor of Architecture at the Royal Academy in 1806, Soane (1753-1837) began to arrange his books, classical antiquities, casts and models so that students of architecture might benefit from access to them. In 1833 he negotiated an Act of Parliament to preserve the house and collection after his death for the benefit of ‘amateurs and students’ in architecture, painting and sculpture. Today, Sir John Soane’s Museum is one of the country’s most unusual and significant museums with a continuing and developing commitment to education and creative inspiration.

Make

Make is an award-winning international architectural practice motivated by imaginative design, resilient placemaking and creating social value. The practice brings projects to life across a broad range of sectors and locations, pushing for innovation in each one, whether it’s a small community-led scheme or a landmark new structure. This approach has produced designs for several noteworthy arts and culture projects, including a dynamic exhibition space for emerging artists in Hong Kong and a major museum and art gallery in Swindon. Make’s founder, Ken Shuttleworth, has been recognised for his skilled draughtsmanship over the years, earning him the nickname “Ken the Pen.” The 2020-2021 lockdowns led Make to design and launch the Vault of Contemporary Art, a virtual gallery with an inaugural exhibition curated by the V&A and dedicated to a retrospective by the British artist Ben Johnson.

Iris Ceramica Group

Iris Ceramica Group is a leading international player in the ceramic industry, specializing in the production of cutting-edge luxury ceramic surfaces that stand out for their attractive design and excellent technical performance. Based in Fiorano Modenese, it has several production facilities in Italy, in the provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia, along with two plants in Germany and in the USA. Operating in more than 100 countries, it employs approximately 1,000 people in its plants in Italy and another 500 people in its plants abroad. The Group boasts more than 60 years of entrepreneurial experience. Innovation, outstanding quality and sustainability have always been the core values that inspire the Group to create ceramic solutions that reflect these values, and which also carry a deep meaning: serving people while respecting the environment.