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6a architects is a British architectural practice, which was established in 2001 by Stephanie Macdonald and Tom Emerson.[1] It is based in London, United Kingdom.[2]

The practice won the RIBA National Award in 2011, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and it was awarded the Erich Schelling Medal for Architecture in 2012.[3][4]  

6a architects
IndustryArchitecture
FoundedLondon, United Kingdom, 2001
Key people
Stephanie Macdonald (founder) Tom Emerson (founder)
ServicesArchitecture, Design, Cultural
Websitehttp://www.6a.co.uk

The practice

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Established in 2001, 6a architects is associated with projects for cultural institutions such as art galleries, collaborations with artists and residential buildings.[5][2] It was founded by life and business partners Stephanie Macdonald and Tom Emerson, who met at the Royal College of Art in 1994.[3] Speaking on why they decided to form the practice, Macdonald has said that it was as a way to balance the responsibilities of childcare and work, after their son was born in 1999.[6][7]

The practice's first project was a showroom in Mayfair for the online fashion retailer Oki-ni.[8] This was followed by several projects involving art galleries including Raven Row gallery in East London in 2009 and the expansion of the South London Gallery in 2010.[9] The practice was enlisted to work on the South London Gallery Fire Station, completed in 2018.[10] Subsequently, the practice designed the new MK Gallery in Milton Keynes, which opened in 2019.[1][11][12] The gallery was listed in second place in The Guardian's top ten architecture 2019 list and at number one in Rowan Moore's 'top 5 buildings of 2019' in The Observer.[12][13] International projects have included multi-use towers in the Hafen district of Hamburg, Germany, completed in 2020.[7]

 
MK gallery, Milton Keynes, designed by 6a architects

Awards and nominations

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The practice has received several awards, nominations and been on various shortlists.[14][4] For Juergen Teller's studio, the practice was awarded the RIBA London Building of the Year 2017, a RIBA National Award, a RIBA regional award and it was shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling prize.[15][16] It was awarded the Woods Award for Coastal House in Devon.[9] There have also been three nominations for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies Van der Rohe Award, in 2011, 2013 and 2015.[14] The Evening Standard listed Macdonald and Emerson on London's most influential people in 2018 in the category of architecture.[9] The practice was cited as one of Domus's best architecture firms in 2020.[17]

Founders Macdonald and Emerson were both appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2021 New Years Honours for their services to architecture.[18][19]

Notable works

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  • Oki-ni, Savile Row, London, 2001
  • Raven Row, Contemporary Art Exhibition Centre, Spitalfields, London, 2009
  • South London Gallery, London, 2010
  • Fashion Galleries, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2012
  • Romney's House, Hampstead, London, 2012
  • Tree House, London, London, 2013
  • Façade for Paul Smith, Albemarle Street, London, 2013
  • Studio for Juergen Teller, London, 2016
  • Cowan Court, Churchill College Cambridge, 2015–16
  • Black Stone Building, London, 2017
  • Coastal House, Devon, 2017
  • Blue Mountain School, London, 2018
  • MK Gallery, Milton Keynes, 2019
  • Housing, Hafen City, Hamburg, 2020
  • A2-B2, Design District London, 2021
  • Bedford House Community Centre, London 2021

Bibliography

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  • Never Modern by 6a architects and Irénée Scalbert, Park Books, Zurich, 2013, ISBN 978-3-906027-24-1
  • 6a architects 2009–17, El Croquis, no. 192, 2017, ISBN 978-84-947754-0-6
  • 6a architects 2001–22, A+U, no. 623, 2022, ISBN 978-4900212800

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "6a architects on Designing for Galleries and Artists". ELEPHANT. 2019-02-27. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  2. ^ a b "6a architects". www.domusweb.it. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  3. ^ a b "The Peter Dormer Lecture 2018: Scribes and Squares". Royal College of Art. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  4. ^ a b "6a architects". www.maniera.be. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  5. ^ "Interview: Tom Emerson & Stephanie Macdonald, 6a architects". Something Curated. 2017-04-05. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  6. ^ Astbury, Jon (2018-02-07). "Stephanie Macdonald of 6a: 'I am so impressed by the generations of women coming after me'". The Architects' Journal. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  7. ^ a b Roux, Caroline (2021-02-20). "'Zaha Hadid couldn't stand being called a woman architect - I've never given a damn'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  8. ^ Lloyd, Joe (November 2018). "History in the Making". Icon: 106–112.
  9. ^ a b c Kucharek, Jan-Carlos. "6a". www.ribaj.com. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  10. ^ "The Radical Cosiness of South London Gallery's New Fire Station Annexe | Frieze". Frieze. 20 September 2018. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  11. ^ "MK Gallery review – utterly, thrillingly Milton Keynesian". The Guardian. 2019-03-05. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
  12. ^ a b "Top 10 architecture of 2019". The Guardian. 2019-12-17. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
  13. ^ "Rowan Moore's best architecture of 2019". The Guardian. 2019-12-29. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
  14. ^ a b "6a architects". www.6a.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  15. ^ "Juergen Teller's studio and five other buildings shortlisted for architecture's Stirling Prize". www.itsnicethat.com. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  16. ^ "Photography Studio for Juergen Teller". www.architectmagazine.com. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  17. ^ "Best Architecture Firms 2020". www.domusweb.it. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
  18. ^ "The full list of everyone recognised in the New Year's Honours list". inews.co.uk. 2021-01-04. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  19. ^ "David Chipperfield and Yinka Ilori recognised in Queen's New Year Honours list". Dezeen. 2020-12-31. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
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