Yesterday, we published the RIBA International Award Winners for 2011. Today, we also have the winners of the 2011 RIBA Awards, recently announced by the Royal Institute of British Architects. These awards for architectural excellence will be presented to 97 buildings in the UK and Europe (89 in the UK and 8 in the rest of the EU). — bustler.net

The interplay between the new system and the courthouse spaces emphasizes the spaces volume and captures the spontaneity of a new architectural presence. The courtyards will be covered and will programmatically serve as contemporary exhibition spaces. — bustler.net

Consolidation of the structure provided a challenge given the size of the cracks and a system of exposed stainless steel ties and bracing frames in original window and fireplaces openings was devised with project engineers David Narro Associates. — www.OpenBuildings.com

The new glass Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik is finally complete, opening for business this month. Designed by jack-of-all-trades Olafur Eliasson and Henning Larsen Architects, the project started construction last year right after Iceland’s economy tanked, but has proven itself to be a beacon of the promised recovery. The glittering hall mimics basalt crystals which are indigenous to Iceland. — Inhabitat

The magic of cities comes from their people, but those people must be well served by the bricks and mortar that surround them. Cities need roads and buildings that enable people to live well and to connect easily with one another ... in the most desirable cities, whether they're on the Hudson River or the Arabian Sea, height is the best way to keep prices affordable and living standards high. — grist.org

Seventeen exceptional new homes form the longlist for the RIBA Manser Medal 2011 for the best new house or major extension in the UK in association with HSBC Private Bank. From small urban homes squeezed into tight city sites to woodland hideaways and dramatic beachfront villas, the 2011 longlist reveals some of the most cutting-edge trends in housing design and lifestyle choices and recognizes some of the UK’s most talented architects. — bustler.net

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the 13 buildings which are receiving RIBA International Awards for architectural excellence later today. [...] All winners are eligible for the RIBA Lubetkin Prize awarded to the best international building by an RIBA member the presentation. — bustler.net

The new wing of TAU's school of architecture, designed by benefactor David Azrieli, has unleashed a firestorm. — Haaretz Daily Newspaper

Co-editor Mark Foster Gage will present Composites, Surfaces, and Software: High Performance Architecture. Composites, Surfaces, and Software: High Performance Architecture explores how computer technologies and digital fabrication techniques give architects unprecedented tools for crafting performance and aesthetics through cross-disciplinary collaboration. — AIA Website

The top may not reach unto heaven, but the Argentinian artist Marta Minujin's 25-metre tower is made of 30,000 books in languages from all over the world. Built in San Martin Square, Buenos Aires to mark the Argentinian city's naming as 2011 World Book Capital, the artist suggested that in 100 years people will say 'there was a Tower of Babel in Argentina ... and it didn't need translation because art needs no translation' — guardian.co.uk

Steven Holl Architects has just unveiled its preliminary concept design for a new Doctorate’s Building for the Schools of Law and Economic Sciences at the National University of Colombia in Bogotá. Holl and his partner, Chris McVoy (with whom he is collaborating on the project), say the 70,000-square-foot, two-story building is intended to re-energize the original campus master plan and encourage social connections. — Architectural Record

If you're in Copenhagen these days, make sure to swing by the brand-new Bella Sky Hotel in Ørestad which was officially opened today by Danish Minister of Economic and Business Affairs, Brian Mikkelsen and Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen. Last week, we already posted first photos of the newly completed hotel exterior, today, we can also give you an insight view of what 3XN designed to impress arriving guests as a tasteful and warm Scandinavian home. — bustler.net

The New Amsterdam Plein & Pavilion at Peter Minuit Plaza has now officially opened to the public in New York City's Battery Park. The pavilion was designed by Amsterdam-based Ben Van Berkel/UNStudio in collaboration with Handel Architects LLP, New York serving as associate architect. The project's landscape was conceived by Parks Dept. Landscape Designer Gail Wittwer-Laird. — bustler.net