The Overall Winner of "The 2021 Architecture Drawing Prize" was announced at Sir John Soane’s Museum in London as Dafni Filippa with "Fluid Strada – Flood-responsive landscape performance"

Sir John Soane’s Museum is hosting a dedicated exhibition of "The Architecture Drawing Prize" until 19 February 2022. The exhibition features Dafni Filippa’s "Fluid Strata", as well as drawings by last year’s finalists and category winners. Also included are works from the 2020 Prize. The curatorial team from Sir John Soane’s Museum, together with Make Architects, created a "virtual 5-year retrospective of the Prize". 

Overall winner and joint Hybrid category winner Flood-responsive landscape performance by Dafni Filippa. Photo credit: Dafni Filippa

Philippa's project uses a climate emergency as a starting point to imagine a future London where the Thames barrier has been destroyed and flash floods have become the norm. The proposed solution is to inject a water film deep underground to protect the infrastructure from flooding. Ken Shuttleworth, founder of Make Architects and a judge, commented on Dafni Filippa’s drawing:

As a jury, we were all impressed by Fluid Strada and the way it blurs the lines between physical objects and drawing with great skill and imagination, making it a truly exceptional example of a hybrid rendering.

Hybrid category joint winner: (Un)homliness, Part 1, Boji Hu. Photo credit: Boji Hu

Digital Finalist: The Promenade through Enfield Town, Sachini Jayasena. Photo credit: Sachini Jayasena

Hybrid Finalist: The Water Parliament - Bangkok City 2100, Tyler Lin. Photo credit: Tyler Lin

"The 2020-21 Prize Exhibition" and "The 5-Year Virtual Retrospective"

Entries from the past two year’s demonstrate how drawing has been an important medium in reconnecting with one’s surroundings during the pandemic, and in viewing those surroundings from a fresh perspective.A heightened sense of place has emerged front and centre in applicant submissions, which is thought-provoking considering that many architects have been physically distanced from their projects, and the design process has been increasingly screen-based during lockdowns and work-from-home periods. The Retrospective showcases drawings by the winners and finalists of The Architecture Drawing Prize since its inception in 2017.

The Architecture Drawing Prize exhibition at The Sir John Soane's Museum. Photo credit: Martina Ferrara

The Architecture Drawing Prize exhibition at The Sir John Soane's Museum. Photo credit: Martina Ferrara

About The Prize

Created as a collaboration between Sir John Soane's Museum, Make Architects, and the World Architecture Festival, The Architecture Drawing Prize is now in its fifth year. It attracts entries from around the world and displays the best and most innovative architectural drawings of today. The extent to which the drawing makes a proposition about the possibilities of architecture is an important criterion in the judging process, as are technical skill and originality of approach.

About Sir John Soane’s Museum

Sir John Soane’s househas been a national museum since the early nineteenth century. He preserve the house and collection after his death for the benefit of ‘amateurs and students’ who study in architecture, painting, and sculpture. Today, Sir John Soane’s Museum is one of the country’s most unusual and significant museums, with a continuing and developing commitment to education and creative inspiration.

About Make Architects

Make is an award-winning international architectural practice with a reputation for challenging convention and pursuing design excellence. Make’s founder, Ken Shuttleworth, has also been recognised for his skilled draughtsmanship over the years, earning him the nickname “Ken the Pen.”