Royal Institute of British Architects
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The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects in the United Kingdom.
Originally named the Institute of British Architects in London, it was formed in 1834 by several prominent architects, including Philip Hardwick, Thomas Allom, William Donthorne and Thomas Leverton Donaldson. It was awarded a Royal Charter in 1837, becoming the Royal Institute of British Architects in London, eventually dropping the 'in London' part of its name in 1892.
The RIBA is a member organisation, with 30,000 members. It is based in a Grade II listed 1930s building designed by architect George Grey Wornum in Portland Place in central London and has a dozen regional offices. Parts of the London building are open to the public. It has a large architectural bookshop, a café, galleries for exhibitions, and lecture theatres. Rooms are hired out for events.
The RIBA Library, otherwise known as the British Architectural Library, is one of the leading libraries in its field in the world. In addition to its holdings of books and journals it has very extensive collections of photographs, drawings and manuscripts, including many architectural drawings by leading British and international architects such as Andrea Palladio, Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Sir Christopher Wren. There are also portraits and architectural models.
RIBA has created a partnership with the Victoria & Albert Museum called Architecture for All to promote public understanding of architecture. In 2004 the two institutions created a new Architecture Gallery at the V&A. In addition RIBA's archives have moved to new facilites in the Henry Cole Wing at the V&A, which also houses study rooms where members of the public may view items from the RIBA and V&A architectural collections under the supervision of curatorial staff, and an education room.
RIBA also stages temporary public exhibitions at its building in Portland Place and elsewhere[1].
RIBA runs many awards including the Stirling Prize for the best new building of the year, the Royal Gold Medal (first awarded in 1848), which honours a distinguished body of work, and the Stephen Lawrence Prize for projects with a construction budget of less than £500,000.
A Fellow of the Institute has the letters FRIBA after his name.