The Friendship Hospital in Bangladesh has won the Royal Institute of British Architects International Prize 2021.
The 80-bed community hospital, located in Satkhira, a remote rural area in south-west Bangladesh, was designed by Bangladeshi architectural practice Kashef Chowdhury/Urbana.
Completed in 2018, the low-cost building was designed in a way that works with the surrounding landscape, which, owing to rising sea levels, changed from grain fields to shrimp fisheries. The architect used the surrounding water to create a rainwater-collecting canal, which also creatively separates inpatient and outpatient departments.
Not only does this channel of water help with microclimatic cooling, it also provides a visual relief for patients and visitors. A series of courtyards also provide natural light and ventilation within the space.
The Friendship Hospital was chosen from a shortlist of three exceptional new buildings, by a jury chaired by world-renowned French architect Odile Decq.
“Friendship Hospital embodies an architecture of humanity and protection that reflects the Friendship NGO’s philanthropic mission to provide dignity and hope to communities through social innovation," Decq said. "Kashef Chowdhury/Urbana has achieved a building designed with a human touch which is deftly integrated with its surroundings and celebrates local, and traditional crafted materials.
"The hospital is very relevant to critical global challenges, such as unequal access to healthcare and the crushing impact of climate breakdown on vulnerable communities. It is a demonstration of how beautiful architecture can be achieved through good design when working with a relatively modest budget and with difficult contextual constraints. This hospital is a celebration of a building dedicated to humans.”
This is not the first time Chowdhury has been recognised for his designs. In 2016, he was awarded the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for the Friendship Centre, a rural training and community centre established by a Bangladeshi NGO. The building was constructed and finished primarily with only one material, local handmade brick.
The Riba International Prize, awarded every two years to a building that exemplifies design excellence with meaningful social impact, is one of the world’s most rigorously judged architectural awards, with every nominated building visited by international experts.
Scroll through the gallery below for pictures of the nominees for the Riba International Prize 2021:
-
Friendship Hospital, Satkhira, Bangladesh has been shortlisted for the Royal Institute of British Architects's 2021 International Prize. Photo: Asif Salman / Kashef Chowdhury/Urbana -
The large 80-bed community hospital was designed by Kashef Chowdhury/Urbana. Photo: Asif Salman / Kashef Chowdhury/Urbana -
A canal of water cuts through the length of the site, separating the inpatients and outpatients, while collecting rainwater stored in tanks – a valuable resource in an area where the saline groundwater is unusable for most practical purposes. Photo: Asif Salman / Kashef Chowdhury/Urbana -
The Riba International Prize 2021 winner will be announced in early 2022. Photo: Asif Salman / Kashef Chowdhury/Urbana -
Friendship Hospital is a large 80-bed community medical centre. Photo: Asif Salman / Kashef Chowdhury/Urbana -
It is arranged around a series of intimate courtyards, which bring in light and natural ventilation. Photo: Asif Salman / Kashef Chowdhury/Urbana -
It is located in Satkhira, a district in south-western Bangladesh. Photo: Asif Salman / Kashef Chowdhury/Urbana -
'The use of local bricks and detailing is kept simple in a contemporary design and is enlightening as an urban environment,' says the Riba International Prize jury. Photo: Asif Salman / Kashef Chowdhury/Urbana -
Friendship Hospital in Satkhira 'has the potential to be a sustainable and affordable blueprint for other clinical facilities in rural regions', according to the jury. Photo: Asif Salman / Kashef Chowdhury/Urbana -
Also shortlisted is the Lille Langebro bridge in Copenhagen, Denmark. Photo: Rasmus Hjortshoj / WilkinsonEyre -
Lille Langebro connects the Christianshavn area. Photo: Rasmus Hjortshoj / WilkinsonEyre -
It was designed by WilkinsonEyre and Urban Agency. Photo: Rasmus Hjortshoj / WilkinsonEyre -
Lille Langebro is a 160-metre long cycle and pedestrian bridge. Photo: Rasmus Hjortshoj / WilkinsonEyre -
Of Lille Langebro, the jury notes: 'The bridge follows an elegant curve that aligns with the great arc of ramparts and moat of Christianshavn, revitalising a part of the harbour that had been underused for decades.' Photo: Rasmus Hjortshoj / WilkinsonEyre -
Lille Langebro curves across a body of water. Photo: Rasmus Hjortshoj / WilkinsonEyre -
The final shortlisted structure is the James-Simon-Galerie in Berlin. Photo: Ute Zscharnt / David Chipperfield Architects -
The James-Simon-Galerie acts as a gate to Museum Island in the German capital. Photo: Ute Zscharnt / David Chipperfield Architects -
It was designed by David Chipperfield Architects. Photo: Ute Zscharnt / David Chipperfield Architects -
Inside, the James-Simon-Galerie houses ticketing offices, a cafe, cloakrooms, restrooms, an auditorium and an exhibition space, as well as back-of-house functions. Photo: Ute Zscharnt / David Chipperfield Architects -
The James-Simon-Galerie is a "front gate" to Berlin's Museum Island, the location of five world-famous museums. Photo: Ute Zscharnt / David Chipperfield Architects -
The James-Simon-Galerie's auditorium. Photo: Ute Zscharnt / David Chipperfield Architects
