Four architects from our practice took part in an architectural design project for children organised by Crossrail London Rail Links. A series of workshops to design a “gateway” to Crossrail at the Isle of Dogs for gifted and talented children at Canary Wharf’s offices started on 29 September.
The four architects led discussions on the topic “what is design”. The following workshop involved visits to places of architectural interest with one architect from each participating practice taking a group of children to a place of interest of their choice. The workshops will culminate in a presentation of the chidren’s work on 1 December.

The RIBA have put TR2 Plymouth Theatre Royal Production Centre and The Spire forward for consideration for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture: Mies Van Der Rohe Award 2005. The primary objective of this official prize of the European Union is to recognise and commend works of contemporary architecture that are characterised by their conceptual, aesthetical and technical solutions. The works are nominated by a group of independent experts as well as the European national architects associations. For each biennial edition, the jury chooses from these nominations a single work to be granted the prize and a single work by emerging architects that will be given the special mention. In addition, the jury makes a selection of works to be published in the award catalogue and presented in a touring exhibition.

The practice’s participation in the 9^th Venice Biennale of Architecture provided the opportunity for the second office trip of the year on 30-31 October.

The winner of the Premio Lecco Prize (a competition between Diploma students from Beijing University, Hanyang University, Milan Polytechnic, and the Paris La Villette Schools of Architecture), was a team from Hanyang University in Seoul.

The 9th Venice Architecture Biennale at which Ian Ritchie Architects are represented in the British Pavilion, opened to the press on 9 September and to the public on 12 September. It continues until 7 November.

On 15 September Ian Ritchie was the guest assessor at the judging of the Leeds Award for Architecture 2004. The awards are sponsored this year by the Leeds Chamber of Commerce’s Property Forum and involve the Leeds Architecture and Design Initiative, The Leeds Society of Architects, The Landscape Institute, The Institute of Historic Building Conservation, Leeds Civic Trust and the Development Department of Leeds City Council. Ian Ritchie will announce the results and give a short presentation at the awards ceremony to be held at The Royal Armouries in Leeds on 20 January 2005.

Ian Ritchie with Jim Barrett of Dublin City Council is presenting The Spire project at the RIBA Annual Conference, ‘Good Clients = Good Architecture’, which is taking place at Trinity College Dublin on 9th and 10th July 2004.

Ian Ritchie has been invited to be President of the jury for the Compasso Volante international competition for students in Italy in September 2004.

The Spire of Dublin has received a RIBA Award.

Ian Ritchie Architects have been invited by the British Council to exhibit at the Venice Biennale 2004. Professor Peter Cook will be curating the exhibition.