Unlikely gems vie for architecture accolade

Published on Tuesday 2 November 2010 15:36

A HOLIDAY home, a cinema restoration, a community centre and a cottage extension are all in the running to be named Scotland's best building.

• One of the favourites to win: Fiscavaig House on the Isle of Skye

Organisers of the nation's flagship architectural contest have also shortlisted the offices of a housing association, a university's new science building, and a health centre for the honour.

The nominations will be competing with several flagship projects, including the refurbishment of Dundee's main cultural building, the new visitor centre at Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden and the conversion of Glasgow's Briggait fishmarket building into an arts centre.

The annual 25,000 Doolan Prize, set up in memory of leading Edinburgh architect Andrew Doolan, who died six years ago, will be unveiled at the Scottish Parliament by culture minister Fiona Hyslop later this month.

Organisers at the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland say they believe the latest developments in Scotland rank alongside the best anywhere in Europe. An expert panel has shortlisted 11 separate projects. One of the favourites, the timber-built Fiscavaig House, on the Isle of Skye, built by local architects Rural Design, was named best new private dwelling house in September's Saltire Housing Design Awards.

The Hippodrome, in Bo'ness, Scotland's first purpose-built cinema dating back to 1912, reopened last year after a painstaking 2 million refurbishment.

Also shortlisted is a terrace of affordable homes in Dunoon, with a design is based on Brighton's beach-huts; the new medical and biological science building at St Andrews University; the 11 million refurbishment of the McManus Art Gallery and Museum in Dundee, and the John Hope Gateway, the 16 million new visitor centre at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh.

Professor Stephen Blackmore, regius keeper at the Botanics said: "Since it opened to the public in October last year, the John Hope Gateway has received more than 600,000 visits. The building is one of the finest entrances to a botanic garden in the world and is an asset to Scotland and the citizens of Edinburgh."

RIAS president David Dunbar said: "We are delighted that Scotland has once again come up with such a strong list of submissions."The crop of new buildings in Scotland is undoubtedly among the best in Europe and we are confident that this year's Doolan Prize will confirm the consistently excellent work currently being produced to the benefit of Scotland and the Scots."

Peter Wilson, an expert in architecture and design at Edinburgh Napier University, said: "There are some fantastic new buildings on the shortlist, particularly Fiscavaig House, on Skye, and the community hall on Raasay, and some really good restoration projects, such as the cinema in Bo'ness. It's been very interesting to see what kind of new buildings have been coming forward during a climate when there have been so few housing developments being built or office developments going up.

"It's something of a miracle that we have seen any new buildings happening at all, never mind buildings of this quality."

Last year's Doolan Prize was won by a 15m small animals hospital at Glasgow University.