Ian Ritchie Architects are represented at the current exhibition: Secret of the Shadow, The Light and Shadow in Architecture at the Deutsches Architektur Museum, Frankfurt. The exhibition runs from 23 March to 16th June 2002.

The exhibition, Blue Gold, conceived by Ian Ritchie Architects, within the 107m high gasometer at Oberhausen, was extended a further month until 28^th April 2002. The exhibition attracted 290,000 visitors.

A 1/10th scale maquette of Alba di Milano made of stainless steel and fractured optic fibre/stainless steel wire woven light fabric and a 1/50 scale model of the Spire of Dublin, 2.4m high, made of polished aluminiumm, will be exhibited Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2002. The exhibition opens to the public on 11^th June.

Berkeley Homes have appointed us to design a major mixed development scheme adjacent to Tower Bridge, that will include public cultural facilities and housing for both the private and public sector.

This month we will be recommending our design team’s choice of contractor to fabricate and erect the Dublin Spire to our client, Dublin City Council. The final selection includes visits led by Robin Cross, project architect, along with Cormac Deavy of Arup, and senior personnel from Dublin City Council to mainland Europe and Ireland.
The chosen contractor will be expected to complete the Dublin Spire in O’Connell Street this autumn.

Final Year design projects for a Leeds Ice Rink, by graduating M Eng Architectural Engineering and Civil Engineering with Architecture students from the University of Leeds. The exhibition is sponsored by the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society.

Details: 13^th June to 19^th June 2002 at the SITE Gallery, RIBA Centre for Design, 8 Woodhouse Square, Leeds LS3 1AD
Tel: 0113 245 6250/0113 243 1420
Fax: 0113 242 6791

Construction has begun on Ian Ritchie Architects’ new stainless steel and glass extension. Designed in-house, with Arup and Rybka Battle, the main contractor is Mansell and MACE are project managers. Completion is December 2002.

The jury awarded prizes and commendations in each of 9 European regions and selected an overall winner from these. The awards will be presented at a gala evening on October 31st during the Glasstec Exhibition in Dusseldorf. The jury consisted of: Pekka Helin (Finland) Sergey Kisselev (Russia) Ian Ritchie (UK) Matthias Sauerbruch (Germany) Elias Torres (Spain) Klus-Peter Schulz (Pilkington Germany) Dr Mark Swenarton (Publishing Editor Architecture Today).

The Plymouth Theatre Royal’s new £5.8m Production Centre on reclaimed land in the Plym estuary is now approaching completion. The project’s unique ‘soft’ woven phosphor bronze cladding to the rehearsal rooms is now being installed. The material was specially woven for the project in Liverpool.

The 1000 tonne lifting crane is now in position in O’Connell Street and the delivery of the first Spire elements is expected in the early part of December. The final shot peening finishing of the stainless steel Spire elements by MIC at Radley Engineering has begun in Dungarven and final inspections begin on 2^nd December. The final factory test assembly of the cast and machined spiral base elements will be inspected on 2nd December at Westley Engineering, Cradley Heath, West Midlands, near Birmingham.