Lyons O'Neill

Kingston University building named winner of RIBA Stirling prize

Lyons O’Neill is absolutely thrilled to see the Town House at Kingston University, a project our team is immensely proud to have worked on, named WINNER of the prestigious RIBA #StirlingPrize.

Our contributions included: designing a system of secondary steelwork to enable the brick skin facades to be supported without exerting loads onto the façade precast panels; designing frames to support the large scale movable partitions which contribute to the ‘openness’ of the building; and undertaking vibration analysis on the two dramatic steel scissor stairs in the atrium.

Originally, we were instructed to design and detail a system of secondary steelwork to enable the brick skin facades to be supported without exerting loads onto the facade precast panels, in order to achieve the aesthetic simplicity Grafton architects sought. This required complex bespoke details and thorough coordination with a variety of supply chain contractors.

Our good relationship with the design team and contractor meant we were subsequently employed to resolve a wide range of uncoordinated items within tight timeframes, so as not to hold up construction. This involved designing frames to support the large scale movable partitions which contribute to the ‘openness’ of the building, to undertaking vibration analysis on the two dramatic steel scissor stairs in the atrium.

The final result is an incredible and impactful space. We’re delighted that the building has been recognised with this award. Big thanks to Grafton Architects for entrusting as with this work.