ISTANBUL: The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced a major new prize to discover the world’s best new buildings and to celebrate the value of architecture to communities worldwide.

The RIBA International Prize will be awarded to the most significant and inspirational building of the year.

The winning building will demonstrate visionary, innovative thinking and excellence of execution, whilst making a distinct contribution to its users and to its physical context.

Setting a new global standard for architectural achievement, the prize will be judged by an expert panel led by world-renowned architect, Lord Rogers of Riverside (Richard Rogers).

The winner of the first RIBA International Prize will be announced at a ceremony in London in December 2016.

The international prize will be awarded to a building of any type or budget and in any country, which exemplifies design excellence, architectural ambition and which delivers meaningful social impact. 

The prize is open to any qualified architect in the world, and entries close on March 8 2016. 

The winner will be chosen by a grand jury led by acclaimed architect Richard Rogers and including Kunle Adeyemi, founder and principal of NLE, Marilyn Jordan Taylor FAIA, the dean of architecture at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Fine Arts and Philip Gumuchdjian, founder of Gumuchdjian Architects, chair of RIBA’s awards committee. 

The full jury will be announced in due course. 

RIBA’s rigorous judging process will see two expert panels of jurors visit each of the shortlisted buildings twice in person, before the grand jury selects six finalists to visit once more to decide on the winning building.

An additional prize, the RIBA International Emerging Architect Prize, will be awarded to a building designed by a practice whose oldest founding director is under the age of 40 at the time of the building’s completion. 

RIBA President Jane Duncan said: “We are thrilled to launch this new award to recognize and celebrate architectural excellence across the world.”

Duncan added: “It is our intention that the RIBA International Prize will uncover the world’s most innovative and visionary architecture and spark local and global debates about the positive impact that well-designed buildings and places can have on their communities and environment.”

Richard Rogers, chair of the grand jury welcomed the prize. Rogers said: “I am delighted to lead the jury for the inaugural RIBA International Prize, and look forward to discovering how architecture is reacting to and resolving issues posed by the changing demands of a global community. We look forward to establishing the RIBA International Prize as a new standard by which to assess and promote design excellence on a global scale.”

Kunle Adeyemi, founding director of NLÉ Projects and fellow judge commented: “It’s a privilege to be a part of the inaugural RIBA International Prize grand jury, where we hope to discover the most exciting and ambitious buildings being created across the world. This is the first time RIBA have opened their awards to any architect from any country, and I look forward to exploring how this helps us learn how architects worldwide are responding to the unique challenges and opportunities of their local geographies with resourceful and innovative solutions.”

The RIBA International Prize is in association with the UIA (Union Internationale des Architectes).