Historic buildings which have undergone impressive restorations were among the winners announced at last night’s Royal Institute of British Architects North East Awards.
The Spanish City in Whitley Bay and Northumbria University’s School of Architecture in the Sutherland Building – both more than 100 years old – were two of the four winners, with new buildings also recognised: Janet Nash House in Durham and the Beacon of Light in Sunderland.
The RIBA North East Award is just the latest accolade for North Tyneside’s Spanish City, which opened 110 years ago and has been brought back to life by a £10million restoration project, £3.47m of which came from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £2.5m from a Coastal Communities grant.
The listed Sutherland Building at Northumbria University has had a new studios extension, with architecture students and staff recently moving in. The building, started in 1887 and completed in 1895 with a Tudor-style interior and Great Hall, is also used for events and functions.
Janet Nash House in Durham is the new European IT headquarters for global electrical wholesaler City Electrical Factors (CEF). The workplace is split into two distinctive areas. The northern block comprises cellular spaces, specialist workplaces and breakout areas with a high level of control over access, lighting, privacy and acoustics.
In contrast, the southern workspace is a more open environment to support creative processes, with the two areas are joined together by a 52m-long two-storey, glazed atrium.
The Beacon of Light in Sunderland, meanwhile, is the centre for the Foundation of Light charity and consists of interactive zones in education; health and fitness; sport and play and the world of work. It includes a multi-use sports hall, with specific acoustic and lighting requirements, an artificial grass pitch and a “football barn”.
Regional Jury chair Peter Clash, of Clash Associates, said of this year’s winners: “Within the North East region the RIBA awards reflect how sustainability is becoming embedded in all projects, with a strong emphasis on engaging with local communities and users, using local materials and minimising buildings energy usage.
“Existing buildings were imaginatively redeveloped, sometimes on minimal budgets, to create beautifully detailed modern environments, while new buildings blended seamlessly with their settings.”
Regional award winners will be considered for the coveted RIBA National Award, the results of which will be announced next month.
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