MJ Long Prize and Moira Gemmill Prize 2021 shortlists announced

The MJ Long prize nominees are Hannah Anderson of Walters & Cohen, Alice Brownfield of Peter Barber Architects, Ingrid Petit of Feilden Fowles and Naila Yousuf of Wright & Wright. The award is named in memory of inspirational architect, lecturer and writer Mary Jane (MJ) Long.

Anderson was nominated for her role in an extension to St Paul’s School in west London; Brownfield for her work on Kiln Place housing scheme; Petit for the design and delivery of the widely publicised The Fratry for Carlisle Cathedral; and Yousuf in respect of the soon-to-be-completed Museum of the Home, London.

Last year, Tracy Meller of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners won the inaugural MJ Long Prize for excellence in practice for her role on the London School of Economics’ Centre Building.

The annual prize – now in its second year – is open to UK-based female architects and judged on an overall body of work with the emphasis on a project completed within the past 18 months.

AJ editor Emily Booth said of the shortlisted projects: ‘The projects are thoughtful and thought-provoking – ranging from an impressively resolved affordable housing scheme to a striking sculptural extension to a medieval cathedral; and from a transformational rework of a museum to an innovative new school hub.

‘It is a privilege to see the MJ Long Prize go from strength to strength, and to highlight such outstanding work and practitioners.’

MJ Long was born in the US and lived in the UK from 1965 until her death in 2018. Her standout projects include the British Library with her husband Colin St John Wilson (1973-98), the National Maritime Museum Cornwall (2003) and the Jewish Museum in Camden (2010) in partnership with Rolfe Kentish.

Meanwhile, the emerging stars in the running for this year’s Moira Gemmill Prize have also been named. The 2021 list of international up-and-coming talent includes Cristina Monteiro, co-founder of London-based practice DK-CM, which was among the latest AJ 40 under 40.

She is joined by Rwandan architect Nerea Amorós Elorduy, founder of Creative Assemblages; Verónica Villate, the co-founder of Mínimo Común, in Paraguay; and the co-founders of Spanish practice Lacol: Ana Clemente, Laura Lluch, Núria Vila, Eulàlia Daví, Ariadna Artigas, and Cristina Gamboa.

The £10,000 prize recognises excellence in women designers anywhere in the world under the age of 45. It was renamed in memory of the late Moira Gemmill, director of design at the V&A and subsequently director of capital programmes at the Royal Collection Trust.

Previous Moira Gemmill Prize-winners include London-based Julia King in 2014, the founders of vPPR in 2015, Mexicans Ambrosi Etchegaray in 2016 and Rozana Montiel in 2017, Gloria Cabral from Paraguay in 2018 and China’s Xu Tiantian in 2019.

Both accolades form part of the W Awards – the successor to the Women in Architecture awards – which celebrate exemplary work of all kinds, from the design of the world’s most significant new buildings to contributions to wider architectural culture, from lifetimes of achievement to the work of women with bright futures ahead.

Shortlists

MJ Long Prize for Excellence in Practice

• Hannah Anderson of Walters & Cohen, for St Paul’s School extension, London
• Alice Brownfield of Peter Barber Architects, for Kiln Place, London
• Ingrid Petit of Feilden Fowles, for The Fratry, Carlisle Cathedral
• Naila Yousuf of Wright & Wright, for the Museum of the Home, London

Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture

• Nerea Amorós Elorduy, founder of Creative Assemblages, based in Rwanda
• Cristina Monteiro, co-founder of DK-CM
• Ana Clemente, Laura Lluch, Núria Vila, Eulàlia Daví, Ariadna Artigas, and Cristina Gamboa, co-founders of Lacol, based in Barcelona, Spain
• Verónica Villate, co-founder of Mínimo Común, based in Paraguay

The winners will be honoured during the virtual W Awards week which commences on Monday 8 March. The recipients of the Jane Drew and Ada Louise Huxtable prizes will be speaking – click here to book your attendance and find out more information. The winners of the MJ Long Prize will be on Tuesday 9 March, while those of Moira Gemmill will be on Wednesday 10 March.