RIBA Recognises New Portland Collection with Prestigious Award

The new Portland Collection at The Harley Gallery and Foundation, Welbeck, has been announced as a 2016 RIBA National Award winner. The award by Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is the most rigorous and prestigious award for new buildings in the UK. The Portland Collection is one of 46 UK buildings to be recognised for its architectural excellence. Working alongside Hugh Broughton Architects, The Portland Collection opened in March 2016 after several years of planning and is carefully curated and designed to display a world class collection. The Portland Collection is one of the finest accumulations of paintings, sculpture, books, tapestries and furniture in private hands and was assembled by the Dukes of Portland and their families, who have been at Welbeck for over 400 years. William Parente, Chairman of the Trustees of The Harley Foundation, said: "On behalf of the Foundation and all its makers and staff, the Trustees would like to express their gratitude at the great honour which this award from RIBA represents. Projects like this are collaborations between many, many people but specifically the relationship with Hugh Broughton Architects was positive and creative throughout. The Trustees are grateful to Hugh and his team, and to all the visitors to the Collection, who have been so enormously generous with their praise." The shortlist for the coveted RIBA Stirling Prize for the UK’s ‘Best Building of the Year’ will be drawn from the 46 award-winning buildings on Thursday 14 July; the winner will be announced on Thursday 6 October 2016. RIBA President Jane Duncan said: “The RIBA National Awards are a great indicator of UK design, economic and construction trends and put a spotlight on some of the smaller and unique, but no less ambitious, projects. They show that budget, location or many other challenges are no constraints to the production of superb quality architecture as long as you have the commitment of an imaginative and capable architect working with a great client. These 46 buildings are what the best architecture looks like today.”