RIBA South East Award 2008
The Lightbox

Marks Barfield, the creators behind the London Eye, have won an Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Award in the South East.

Of the twenty-three projects that were submitted in the South East Region, which covers Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Guernsey and Jersey, eight were  shortlisted and visited by the RIBA Awards Jury in March. Following the visits, only three projects received an Award.

RIBA Award winners are considered for the RIBA National Awards, which in turn form the longlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize. The RIBA National Award winners will be announced at the RIBA National and International Awards Dinner to be held at the London Hilton on 27 June.

Marilyn Scott, Director of The Lightbox said “Marks Barfield have designed a really inspirational building, but what is important to us as the users is that it is truly fit for purpose. It is extremely versatile and welcoming to everybody who visits, from young children to our older visitors. We are so grateful to Marks Barfield for always having listened to our needs and for having created such a jewel to house our organization.”

Since opening in September last year, The Lightbox has already one two other prestigious awards. It was awarded a Civic Trust Award in March earlier this year, and on the 22 May was awarded an £100,000 prize for the Art Fund Prize, the UK’s most prestigious arts and museum’s award.

The £4.1 million building originated from the community and contains galleries capable of displaying both international exhibitions and local artist’s work alike, as well as showing the history of Woking. One of the key objectives of the design was to create a low energy building that lives up to Woking’s reputation as the UK’s greenest borough.

The building has been designed as a jewellery box to contain all kinds of cultural treasure. Overlapping anodised aluminium cladding panels, in 5 shades of gold and silver, spiral up and around the building. The cladding, inspired from nature, suggests the lateral line found on fish for balance.

RIBA South East presented the Award to members of the project team at a ceremony at The Lightbox on 5 June 2008.