A new £60million Coventry arts hub has been shortlisted for arguably the biggest architecture award in the UK. The University of Warwick’s Faculty of Arts Building (FAB), in University Road, Cannon Park, is one of just six buildings shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize 2023.

The structure, named West Midlands Building of the Year by RIBA back in May, forms part of the university's £100million investment into the arts and is 'the cornerstone of the new campus arts quarter'. RIBA President Muyiwa Oki said: "The 2023 Stirling Prize shortlist illustrates why architecture matters to all of us.

"These six remarkable buildings offer thoughtful, creative responses to the really complex challenges we're facing today. Whether it's tackling loneliness, building communities, or preserving our heritage, these projects lay out bold blueprints for purposeful architecture.

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"Amidst a backdrop of housing shortages, growing inequality and economic uncertainties, this year's shortlist demonstrates that well-designed buildings can offer genuinely inspiring solutions to our most pressing problems." Designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, the FAB brings together the departments and schools of the faculty under one roof.

The university says the building, which opened in May last year, provides 'a world-class centre for teaching and research'. It includes an antiquities room, cinema, theatre studios and a media lab, along with multi-purpose events and exhibition spaces.

"Sitting at the heart of a campus which is designed to have a parkland feel, the building was conceived as four light-filled pavilions grouped around a central stair, sitting amongst the mature trees of its site," a university spokesperson said.

The new £57.5m Faculty of Arts building at the University of Warwick has landed a major honour
The new £57.5m Faculty of Arts building at the University of Warwick has landed a major honour

The RIBA Stirling Prize is judged against criteria including design vision; innovation and originality; capacity to stimulate, engage and delight occupants and visitors; accessibility and sustainability; how fit the building is for its purpose and the level of client satisfaction.

Presented since 1996, the RIBA Stirling Prize is said to be the highest accolade in UK architecture. From September 14 to November 10, an exhibition showcasing each of this year's six finalists will be on display at 66 Portland Place in London.

The award for the UK's best new building will be announced on October 19.

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