Taking the View Upwards: Our Entry to RIBA Eyeline 2025
What if the most overlooked part of a building could become its most vital public space?
That idea is at the heart of Benchmark Architects’ entry for this year’s RIBA Journal Eyeline competition - an annual celebration of architectural drawing that pushes the boundaries of visual storytelling in design.
Our submission, titled “Rooftop:MK – An Elevated Landscape”, is a bold reimagining of the rooftops of the Grade II-listed Centre:MK, celebrating Milton Keynes’ newly granted city status. Fifty years after Helmut Jacoby’s iconic aerial drawings for the city’s original masterplan, Rooftop:MK presents a future-facing vision - one that transforms over 80,000 sqm of underused roofscape into a vibrant new layer of civic life.
The design concept proposes a rich mix of uses, including community allotments and rooftop gardens, sports courts, play spaces, markets, and an open-air amphitheatre. The scheme is both a celebration and a critique, challenging the city’s vertical growth by giving fresh meaning and purpose to its horizontal heritage.
This isn’t just about adding green space; it's about restoring visual and civic value to a forgotten part of the urban fabric. Rooftop:MK is deeply rooted in the six founding principles of Milton Keynes’ original masterplan, values which we believe are still relevant today. By weaving in sustainability measures like green roofs, photovoltaics, wind turbines, and rainwater harvesting, the proposal supports the city’s ambitions as outlined in the Milton Keynes Strategy for 2050.
Recently qualified architect Helaena Blanch is a talented emerging designer whose creative vision has shaped every part of Rooftop:MK. Her hand-drawn illustration brings depth, character, and clarity to the concept, reinterpreting Jacoby’s iconic perspective through a fresh, human-focused lens. At Benchmark, we’re committed to nurturing creativity across the team, and we’re especially proud to support Helaena as she continues to develop and refine her design voice. Working closely with Managing Director Mark Doohan, she played a key role in defining both the visual language and conceptual direction of the submission, capturing the layered and evolving nature of the project with real sensitivity.
We’re thrilled with the outcome and proud to be part of a competition that champions the enduring power of the architectural drawing. Fingers crossed!
28 May 2025