Celebrating North’s landmark buildings
Dec 4 2009 by Tony Henderson, The Journal
SIX winners emerged last night from an original line up of 50 entries in a search to find the cream of architecture and building design in the region.
The Hadrian Awards ceremony, which is held every two years, took place at the recently restored and converted Cooper’s Studio on Westgate Road, Newcastle.
The awards, organised by the Royal Institute of British Architects North East, Northern Architecture, the North of England Civic Trust and the Landscape Institute North East Branch, celebrate work across architecture, urban and landscape design, including new buildings, conversions, conservation, re-modelling or extensions, place-making, streets, landscape and urban design.
The winners were:
Kielder Observatory, Northumberland, by Charles Barclay Architects. Designed for amateur astronomers, the pier form of this small timber observatory includes an observation deck for private telescopes and two permanent telescopes. The observatory is self-powered by a wind turbine and roof-mounted solar panels.
Lakeside Centre, Killingworth, by Faulkner Brown Architects. The building is a North Tyneside Council community leisure centre with a central zone of foyer, fitness, refreshment and viewing areas which bind together the aquatic and sports facilities on either side.
Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle, by Fletcher Priest Architects. An extensive refurbishment and conservation programme which included a roof extension to house two new cinema screens, a new education suite including film production space and editing suites, and meeting rooms and digital cinema technology to help train new filmmakers.
Cardinal Hume Catholic School, Gateshead. Architects GWK designed a 1,200 place comprehensive school to meet modern day teaching and learning requirements and that the new environment should not feel like a “standard school”. Sustainable measures include vertical solar control louvres to main facade preventing heat gain, yet still allowing significant natural light.
ThePlace, Sunniside, Sunderland, by Reid Jubb Brown. A new building providing Sunniside with its own business and arts centre, accommodating performance space, art gallery/exhibition spaces, a café, meeting rooms and a range of business suites and artists’ studios.
Mima, Middlesbrough, by EEA Eric Van Egeraat Associates. Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art and the Public Square development has successfully created a vibrant public space in the heart of Middlesbrough.
RIBA North East regional director Jon Jo Macnamara said: “This year the entries were all wildly different.”
Director of Northern Architecture, Carol Botten said: “The Hadrian Awards celebrate architecture and design but it goes beyond the aesthetic value of a building.
“So that we can assess factors such as how well the brief has been met and if the structure complements its environment, schemes must have been in full use for a year.
“Spaces should be functional and fit for purpose so we also like to assess how users of the buildings feel about them.”
Graham Bell, director of the North of England Civic Trust and chairman of the Hadrian Awards, said: “It was particularly important that a variety of schemes were entered and encouraged including those designed by small-scale practices.
“Schemes such as Kielder Observatory show good practice on small budgets. We are looking forward to seeing more schemes like this in 2011, as well as more entries from buildings located in areas looking to improve their good practice in public and private housing, public space, and urban design.”
Sponsors of this year’s event included Ibstock Brick Ltd, MicroCAD, Ignite, English Heritage and West Lakes Renaissance.
Commended
THREE schemes won commendations at the Hadrian Awards. They were:
•St Andrew’s Church, Benton, Newcastle, by Vincente Stienlet, Pascal J Stienlet & Son: an ecumenical partnership formed in 2003 between Benton Methodist Church and Forest Hall United Reformed Church.
This project includes a new entrance and foyer, capable of being used as overflow space to the church, together with major internal alterations to improve accessibility, storage, toilets, kitchens and disabled facilities.
•The Wynd in Amble, Northumberland by Jane Darbyshire & David Kendall Ltd. A development of highly distinctive homes which respond to their exceptional coastal location, creating shelter and maximizing views.
•Sunniside Gardens, Sunderland by Robinson Landscape Design. An enhanced and improved Sunniside Gardens to help raise the profile of the city centre and become a focus for regeneration in the wider Sunniside area.
