The New Library at Magdalene College in Cambridge, England by Níall McLaughlin Architects has won the 26th RIBA Stirling Prize, granted by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Described as ?sophisticated, generous architecture that has been built to last? by RIBA President Simon Allford, the project replaces a cramped and poorly equipped 300-year-old building with a beautiful gabled facility that?s expected to last another 400 years or more.

The architects were tasked with building for the long-term while using present resources wisely, working with designers, consultants, builders, and craftsman to develop a space that improves the success and well-being of students. The College wanted The New Library to honor its past without just passively ?blending in.? The result is an inspiring structure that preserves a human scale.
?The result ? a solid and confident, yet deferential new kid on the college block,? says Allford. ?The light-filled, warm-wood interior lifts spirits and fosters connections. The overarching commitment to build something that will stand the test of time can be felt in every material and detail, and from every viewpoint. This is the epitome of how to build for the long-term.?

Sited in a sensitive historic setting along the boundary wall between the enclosed Master?s Garden and open Fellow?s Garden, The New Library is a contemporary, sustainable addition to the Magdalene College campus. Its exterior consists of elegant brickwork set adjacen...