Ian Ritchie, together with Peter Cook have been elected the Royal Academy’s Joint Professors of Architecture. They intend to promote the architectural strength of the Royal Academy internationally over a four year period with a series of lectures and workshops in cities less obviously associated with leading edge architecture.

Anthony Whishaw’s invitation to Academicians to respond to the theme of ‘Visual Wit’ has resulted in a surprising range of interpretations. Members including painters, sculptors, architects, and printmakers have submitted works, many made especially for this exhibition. The concept of wit is explored in a number of ways, with artists employing optical illusions, using found objects, referencing past artistic icons and playing with humour.

Ian Ritchie’s contribution, ‘Architecture is Addictive’, can be seen in the Friends Room of the Royal Academy from 24 November - 8 March 2005.

Ian Ritchie gave the keynote address entitled, ‘Design, Ethics and Innovation’ at the SOM Building Science and Design Research Symposium in New York on 19-20 November.
The symposium was designed to bring together a diverse group of architects, academics, owners and industry representatives to present and discuss design and technology ideas about new materials, intelligent building systems and sustainable development practices in architecture.

Ian Ritchie gave a talk at the Tate Britain on 25 November as part of ‘Clear Visions’, a series of seminars on the glazed envelope organised by Architecture Today with Pilkington. The subject of the seminars is the design and maintenance of the glazed envelope.

TR2 was awarded the Abercrombie Design Award for Best New Building and was also the Overall Winner Abercrombie Architectural Design Award at The Abercrombie Awards in November. The Awards were designed to celebrate design excellence and, in a period of exciting change in Plymouth with the Mackay Vision for Plymouth capturing the public’s imagination, it is hoped that they will play an important role in raising the standard of design in Plymouth and contribute to the regeneration of the city.

In the context of the Franco-British Initiative jointly promoted by the “direction de l’architecture et du patrimoine” (DAPA) of the French cultural ministry and the “Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment”(CABE), the French part of this affordable/social housing competition has been launched, the “Atelier de Definition”.

Ian Ritchie took part in the final jury session for the Ile Seguin competition on 5 October. The final 4 were:

• Equipe Dominique Perrault - Daniel Buren - Coyne & Bellier - Claude Ripault - Jean Claude Lamoureux
• Equipe Nicolas Michelin - Jan Kopp - Bertrand Segers - Antonio Gallego - Patrick Rimoux - BATISERF - Michel Forgue
• Equipe Mathieu Poitevin - Pascal Reynaud - Stéphane Maupin - Jérôme Sans - Daniel Vaniche
• Equipe Bernard Tschumi - Michel Crespin - TECHNIP TPS - Hugh Dutton - PROGRAMME

The winner was: Equipe Mathieu Poitevin - Pascal Reynaud

On 25 October, Ian Ritchie was on the judging panel for the AMC / Le Moniteur Awards, French architecture’s equivalent of the British RIBA Stirling Prize.
The winner was: was the National Dance Centre, Pantin Paris, by Antoinette Robain and Claire Guieysse.

The Spire was shortlisted for the Stirling Prize 2004 (bookies second favourite) together with the Kunsthaus, Graz by Peter Cook and Colin Fournier, Imperial War Museum North, Manchester by Studio Daniel Libeskind, Phoenix Initiative, Coventry by MacCormac Jamieson Prichard, Business Academy Bexley by Foster and Partners, and 30 St Mary Axe by Foster and Partners. The winner was 30 St Mary Axe and was announced at an award ceremony at the Old Billingsgate Market, London and was televised live on Channel 4 at 8pm, Saturday 16 October.

Ian Ritchie Architects have been commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company to help design the RSC’s 1000 seat thrust stage auditorium which will be used during the transition period while the existing main theatre is reconstructed. A planning application will be made before the end of this year and will be in use from 2006.