Gala Event Reveals 2024 AT Awards Winners at Battersea Power Station - Victors Highlighted in Film Format
The winners of the Architecture Today Awards, an annual event that honors buildings that stand the test of time, were announced on Thursday, 21 November 2024, at a ceremony held in the restored 1930s Control Room A at Battersea Power Station in London.
Now in its third year, the Architecture Today Awards, sponsored by AccuRoof, Brick Development Association, The Concrete Centre, Leviat, Total Synergy, and VMZINC, recognize a shift in focus from celebrating newness to recognizing buildings' longevity. Projects must have been in use for at least three years and demonstrate a strong track record for delivering on their environmental, functional, community, and cultural ambitions.
Awards were presented in 11 categories: Workplace, Mixed Use & Retail, Healthcare, Residential, Individual House, Religion & Culture, Education, Hospitality & Leisure, Infrastructure & Public Realm, International, the Student Prize, and the Editor's Award, as well as the Outstanding Contribution Award.
Winning Projects
Here are some highlighted winning projects, their architects, and completion years, along with the judges' comments:
Education - Winner
- Project: Royal Academy of Music - Susie Sainsbury Theatre and Angela Burgess Recital Hall, London
- Architect: richie*studio
- Completed: 2018
The judges commended the ingenious solution of two independent and acoustically separated concert venues inserted within the building envelope, giving it a new lease of life that will ensure this world-class music school remains at the top of its game for generations to come.
Healthcare - Winner
- Project: Sulis Hospital Bath
- Architect: Foster + Partners
- Completed: 2010
The judges praised the building's thoughtful design, the well-considered relationship to its landscape, and its ability to produce an efficient, welcoming, and calm environment. Fifteen years on, this innovative building continues to set high standards for its sector.
Hospitality & Leisure - Winner
- Project: Eastbrookend Discovery Centre, Dagenham
- Architect: Perkins&Will, formerly Penoyre & Prasad
- Completed: 1997
The judges highlighted this project's preemption of current thinking around low emission heating, ventilation, embodied carbon, and design for disassembly and end-of-life. Post-occupancy evaluation confirms its ongoing popularity and success, showing that it exceeds expectations in all the right ways.
In the Infrastructure & Public Realm, International, Mixed Use & Retail, Religion & Culture, Residential, and Workplace categories, the winners spanned a variety of architects and projects. Each garnered appreciation for their commitment to longevity, adaptability, and a focus on community, culture, and environment.
This year's awards also recognized University of the Arts London alumnus Yuen Wah Williams for the Student Prize, sponsored by VMZINC. The judges praised his beautifully drawn proposals for elegant ways to incorporate mixed uses into existing buildings while transforming the public realm.
In the Special Awards section, the Editor's Award went to the Bridge of Aspiration in London, and Urban Splash received the Outstanding Contribution Award. The Editor commended Urban Splash for its 30-year history of delivering regeneration projects, such as Park Hill in Sheffield and the recently awarded Timber Wharf in Manchester, which demonstrate a commitment to flexible, enduring, and adaptable design.
Overall, the Architecture Today Awards celebrate projects that embody a focus on longevity, adaptability, and an enduring commitment to quality in design and construction. The winning projects demonstrate that by adhering to these principles, architects and developers can create lasting value for communities and the environment.
- The Royal Academy of Music - Susie Sainsbury Theatre and Angela Burgess Recital Hall, designed by richie*studio and completed in 2018, was the winner in the Education category for its ingenious acoustic design that ensures the building's longevity and allows it to remain a world-class music school for future generations.
- The judges praised Foster + Partners' design for Sulis Hospital Bath, completed in 2010, as it continues to set high standards for the healthcare sector, displaying a thoughtful design that reflects its landscape and produces an efficient, welcoming, and calm environment.
- The Eastbrookend Discovery Centre in Dagenham, designed by Perkins&Will (formerly Penoyre & Prasad) and completed in 1997, was hailed as a pioneer of current thinking surrounding low emission, disassembly, and end-of-life considerations in architecture. Its success and popularity have been confirmed through post-occupancy evaluation, surpassing expectations in every way.
- Urban Splash, a company with a 30-year history of delivering regeneration projects, was awarded the Outstanding Contribution Award. The Editor commended Urban Splash for demonstrating a commitment to flexible, enduring, and adaptable design in projects like Park Hill in Sheffield and the recently awarded Timber Wharf in Manchester.
