The winners for 2016 AJ Retrofit Awards were announced at the annual retrofit dinner at the Brewery in east London in 14 September 2016,Allford Hall Monaghan Morris’ Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool was named the Retrofit of the Year.
AJ editor-in-chief Christine Murray commented: ‘The Retrofit Awards celebrate the exemplary remodelling of existing buildings to extend the life of the built environment. These projects breathe new life into our built heritage, showcase architectural ingenuity, and make significant energy savings while boosting building performance.
The full list of winners:
St Thomas’ Hospital: East Wing Recladding | Hopkins Architects
Jury comment, This scheme demonstrates clever holistic future-proofing where the client is getting a bang for their buck. It is an intelligent background solution which transforms a very average exterior into something rather good.
Type of project: Hospital
Location: London
Client: Essentia
Main contractor: ISG
Completion: January 2016
Project cost: £16 million
Royal Court Theatre | Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
Jury comment ,This gutsy solution is a bold statement which rebrands the theatre and demonstrates confidence and an assertive quality that cities like Liverpool really need. The project was very professionally handled with a consistent resolution of detail, even though it looks very much ‘now’ and does not particularly respond to the existing theatre’s 1930s heritage.
Type of project: Theatre
Location: Liverpool
Client: Royal Court Theatre Trust
Main contractor: Mellwood Construction
Completed: February 2016
Project cost: £2.9 million
Wellcome Collection | WilkinsonEyre
Jury comment, The extraordinary stair unlocks the whole project and transforms the way the building functions, effectively meeting the client’s brief to entice visitors to the upper floors. The new reading room is one of the best places in London, along with the wonderful café.
Type of project: Museum
Location: London
Client: Wellcome Trust
Main contractor: Overbury
Completion: March 2015
Project cost: £17.5 million
Cockcroft Building | Fraser Brown MacKenna Architects
Jury comment, This is a bold project, particularly from a sustainability point of view – and a model for future similar projects. It focuses well on how people use the building. The exterior has been elegantly improved and the interior creatively revamped.
Type of project: University
Location: Brighton
Client: University of Brighton
Main contractor: Willmott Dixon
Completion: September 2015
Project cost: £20 million
GPO Witness History Interpretative Exhibition Centre | Kavanagh Tuite Architects
Jury comment, This is a sensitive and sympathetic intervention – particularly with regard to detailing and choice of materials. It performs well on energy efficiency and the contemporary approach improves and enhances the project.
Type of project: Museum
Location: Dublin
Client: An Post
Main contractor: PJ Hegarty and Sons
Completion: November 2015
Project cost: £7.8 million
Weston Library | WilkinsonEyre
Jury comment, An innovative approach to transforming an inwardly focused building into a welcoming library by creating an external colonnade which relates to the street and an internal light-filled court which immediately orients visitors to the building. Sensitive choice of material palette and services have been thoughtfully integrated.
Type of project: Library
Location: Oxford
Client: University of Oxford
Main contractor: MACE
Completion: March 2015
Project cost: £50 million
Christ Church Crypt | Dow Jones
Jury comment, Provocative new elements challenge the existing, though the materials defer, making the interventions on the right side of awkward. Very clear distinction between old and new is a strength of the design, while it also features a strong intervention which is nevertheless modest with a degree of underplay.
Type of project: Church
Location: London
Client: Christ Church Spitalfields
Main contractor: Coniston
Completion: November 2015
Project cost: £2.38 million
CP Hart Flagship Showroom | Morrow + Lorraine Architects
Jury comment, This is a strong and imaginative upgrade. The architects have used the volumes well to clearly add to the visitor shopping experience.
Type of project: Retail
Location: London
Client: CP Hart
Main contractor: Sunbeam Contract Works
Completion: November 2015
Project cost: £1.5 million
Merrydown | McLaren Excell
Jury comment, Despite a limited palette of materials, this is an imaginative scheme which increased the square meterage of the building by finding extra space beneath the roof structure and creating a suspended bedroom. Considering the budget, this was a fantastic result.
Type of project: House
Location: Wareham
Client: Private
Main contractor: David R White Building Services
Completion: June 2015
Project cost: £216,000
Brackenbury House | Neil Dusheiko Architects
Location: London
Client: Private
Main contractor: Space Cube
Completion: June 2015
Project cost: £612,000
Bakery Place | Jo Cowen Architects
Location: London
Client: West Eleven
Main contractor: TC&D
Completion: May 2016
Project cost: £2.4 million
Littlewoods Bunker | ShedKM
Location: Liverpool
Client: Capital and Centric
Main contractor: Artez
Completion: April 2015
C-Space | BuckleyGrayYeoman
Location: London
Client: Helical Bar
Main contractor: Willmott Dixon
Completion: December 2015
Swanlea Sixth Form | London Borough of Tower Hamlets Architects
Location: London
Client: London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Main contractor: IMS Building Solutions
Completion: April 2015
Project cost: Undisclosed
Crouch End Picturehouse | Panter Hudspith Architects
Location: London
Client: Picturehouse Cinemas
Main contractor :Phelans Construction
Completion: November 2015
Project Hamlet, Barclays, Canary Wharf | Cool-Therm
Jury comment, This product replaces old inefficiency with new efficiency – it’s a sustainable retrofit model.