Bushey Cemetery nominated for RIBA Stirling prize

Bushey Cemetery in Little Bushey Lane is in the running for the Riba Stirling Prize, with the winner to be announced in October.

Judges described Bushey Cemetery, by Waugh Thistleton Architects, as an "an extraordinary spiritual building formed of natural rammed earth walls, oak and rusted steel, with the beliefs and customs of the Jewish faith at its heart".

They said: "In keeping with the Jewish idea of being buried very simply, in a cardboard coffin, simple clothes, the buildings carry through the idea of returning the body to the ground, 'earth to earth, ashes to ashes'.

"In contrast with the plainness of the buildings, the landscape is almost lush.

"The limited number of buildings, the simplicity of the forms and expressionist choice of materials all reflect the symbolism of burial to the Jewish community."

Bushey Cemetery is one of the UK’s most significant Jewish cemeteries, located on a 16-acre site of green belt land.

The scheme created two new prayer halls and a series of service buildings. The main ceremonial space was formed from rammed earth, a natural mix of compressed soil excavated on site, lime stone and sand, creates a durable yet biodegradable structure, echoing the return to the earth by the departed, an element of design the judges commended the project on.

Student housing, an office building, a nursery school, lecture theatre and art gallery Tate St Ives are also up for the award.

Tate St Ives is the most well-known new building on the list.

It recently won Art Fund Museum Of The Year, winning a £100,000 prize after opening a new £20 million gallery "sunk into the cliff".

Riba Stirling Prize shortlist:

Bloomberg, London (Foster And Partners)

"A highly-innovative new workplace in the City of London.... which pushes architecture's boundaries and seeks to enhance the neighbouring public realm."

Bushey Cemetery, Herts (Waugh Thistleton Architects)

"An extraordinary spiritual building formed of natural rammed earth walls, oak and rusted steel, with the beliefs and customs of the Jewish faith at its heart."

Chadwick Hall, University of Roehampton, London (Henley Halebrown)

"Three new, intelligent buildings which surround the Grade II-listed Georgian Downshire House and provide high-quality student housing for Roehampton University, built on a modest budget."

New Tate St Ives, Cornwall (Jamie Fobert Architects with Evans And Shalev)

"An ingenious reconfiguration and extension of the postmodern art gallery which doubles the exhibition space, creates a new public walkway connecting the town to the beach and helps St Ives attract a growing number of international visitors."

Storey's Field Community Centre and Nursery, Cambridge (MUMA)

"A breathtaking building, commissioned by the University, for the new community of north west Cambridge. Inspired by the college cloisters and courts of the City, this project has a sustainability agenda at its core."

The Sultan Nazrin Shah Centre, Worcester College, Oxford (Niall McLaughlin Architects)

"A floating auditorium crafted from classic Oxford stone and natural oak to blend exquisitely into the established landscape of Worcester College."