Future Cities Forum Winter Awards Winners 2024 and judges' comments
Our all-female panel of judges included (left to right) Zoological Society of London (ZSL) Director of Estates Transformation Claire McKeown, Wright and Wright, Associate, Olivia Forty, Ellie Evans, Senior Partner, Volterra, Ceri Baxter, Associate, Pilbrow and Partners, Jenny Gardner, Director of Development, ARC Group (Advanced Research Clusters), Laura Matthews, Partner, Sheppard Robson, Teresa Tirado, Associate Architect, BDP, Yasmin Ali, Project Director, Tower Hamlets Council, with forum Co-founder Heather Fearfield facilitating. Vicky Smith, Director of Strategy and Major Projects, National Museums Liverpool is on the screen.
Our all-female panel of judges awarded the following projects over-all winner and runners-up in the following categories:
1
Museums – international category
Covid-19 has shown us however just how vital accessible cultural infrastructure (galleries, museums, theatres, live music and performance venues) is to human health and well-being as well as the prosperity and attractiveness of cities. As well as recovery in footfall, do they have practical strategies to open out to communities beyond their physical walls and how are they doing this? Are there awards to be given for those projects that protect cultural heritage while modernizing for new audiences? Do they act as modern cultural anchors for the confident self-expression, brand, and identity of their cities?
Above image courtesy Sarjeant Gallery
WINNER
Sarjeant Gallery, New Zealand - The Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery at Pukenamu, Queen's Park Whanganui is a regional art museum with a collection of international and New Zealand art. It was closed for 10 years for redevelopment and re-opened in November 2024.
Ellie Evans of Volterra commented
'Portugal's CAM looked beautiful, I loved Warsaw's MoMA story, but New Zealand's Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery at Pukenamu wins'
Vicky Smith of National Museums Liverpool added
'On the Sargeant I like the way it connects to history and landscapes. The co-adaptation with the community is really good to see and that is what we are trying to do with the Slavery Museum in Liverpool.'
Laura Matthew of Sheppard Robson said
''I am immediately drawn to the Sarjeant's clever use of materials and the sustainability. Warsaw is bold and brave. Kengo Kuma's CAM is elegant but lacked the narrative of the other two,'
RUNNERS UP
Centro de Arte Moderna Gulbenkian building (CAM), Lisbon, Portugal
Jenny Gardner of ARC said
'We try hard in the UK to incorporate the inside / outside approach and connection, but Kengo Kuma manages this brilliantly with CAM'
Claire McKeown of ZSL added
'I loved the sweeping curves of CAM that reflected not only traditional Japan but also Portugal's culture. The canopy serves to connect garden and museum'
The Museum of Modern Art Warsaw
Above image courtesy MICA Architects
2
Heritage
How can heritage best be respected and remodelled to suit modern uses? How can it be used to create better adjoining public realm and community engagement? Are the spaces created within heritage buildings sympathetic to the original design? Are materials used wisely to work in with the original buildings?
WINNER
Hay Castle (MICA Architects)
Laura Matthews of Sheppard Robson said:
'There is something impressive about the scale of this challenge. It shows such a sustainable way of working and with the community.
Vicky Smith of Liverpool Museums added:
''It is a sympathetic solution and it works well for the town of Hay which I know well. It is great to see this regeneration working for the community.'
Yasmin Ali of Tower Hamlets Council continued:
'There is something about the restored brickwork at Hay that reminds me of the remodelling of the Royal London Hospital - there is enormous work involved in the preservation of the bricks and stone work.'
Olivia Forty of Wright and Wright said:
'You can see the layers of history in the way Hay castle has been adapted and restored.'
RUNNERS UP
Oldham Town Hall’s Egyptian room
Vicky Smith of Liverpool Museums stated:: I really liked the intervention in the Egyptian Room. This is a good regeneration project with benefits for the wider town.'
Jenny Gardner of ARC Group added: 'I love the energy that is infused into the food hall and it will help the night as well as the daytime economy.'
The British Academy, Carlton House Terrace, London SW1
Ellie Evans of Volterra said: 'This looks beautiful but the spaces might only benefit a small group of people compared to Oldham and Hay.'
Claire McKeown of ZSL commented: 'If you were the client on this project, it will have opened up so much in terms of space and possibilities.'
Above image courtesy 3XN
3
Arenas
How can sports stadiums become less fortress-like and welcome in local communities for social wellbeing? How can they provide a spotlight for the celebration of sport or arts entertainment in a city, through hosting major tournaments/events? Do they always lead to regeneration in the districts in which they are placed?
WINNER
SAP Garden Munich Germany completed for basketball and ice hockey
Vicky Smith of Liverpool Museums stated:: 'I liked the Munich approach with the landscape concept and relationship.'
Ellie Evans of Volterra commented: 'Munich has social value very cohesively delivered into the design of a sports arena.'
Olivia Forty of Wright and Wright said: 'Munich has sustainability hard-wired into the design.'
Laura Matthews of Sheppard Robson commented on SAP Garden Munich: 'It lands and it stitches.'
RUNNERS UP
Intuit Dome, Los Angeles
Teresa Tirado of BDP suggested: ' It is very dedicated to the community and to the fan experience. They have used the envelope well with natural ventilation.'
Ellie Evans of Volterra remarked: 'It has social value, but not on site.'
AO Arena Manchester upgrading
Ceri Baxter of Pilbrow and Partners said: 'Having been a student in Manchester with its rich music scene and so many small venues, the city really needs this larger venue.'
Teresa Tirado stated: ' The AO Arena project does what it needs to do and opens up all the underused spaces. It keeps the music identity of Manchester to the forefront.'
Above image courtesy HS2 Ltd
4
Infrastructure - bridges
Bridges often provide vital links between new districts and enterprise zones, but has there been enough attention to cycle ways across them or the needs of the pedestrian over car dominance? How can bridges become meeting places and offer healthy places of relaxation? Should they be functional in design or add to a city’s beauty?
WINNER
Aston Church Road Birmingham Overbridge - meeting place and nature
Vicky Smith of Liverpool Museums said: 'HS2 responds to a need from the community.'
Yasmin Ali of Tower Hamlets Council commented: 'It makes such a big difference to see through the bridge parapet.'
RUNNERS UP
Herring Bridge Norfolk - third river crossing connecting port and enterprise zone
Vicky Smith suggested: 'It has amazing engineering built into it.'
Bridge in Toulouse
Claire McKeown of ZSL said: 'The bridge is elegant and very beautiful'.
Ceri Baxter of Pilbrow and Partners commented: 'It is very Calatrava, simple, effective.'
Above image courtesy British Land
5
Retrofit and sustainability
How can heritage be maintained while making buildings fit for modern-day purpose? Should modern materials be favoured over traditional brick? How can innovation provide a solution to energy sustainability and how can cityscapes be preserved, despite the retrofitting of buildings and streets?
WINNER
Norton Folgate / British Land (please watch the video)
Teresa Tirado of BDP commented: 'There is a lot of honesty in this project and the spaces reflect the heritage of the site. It is quite a challenge to work with six different site assets - it is so impressive.'
Yasmin Ali of Tower Hamlets Council said: 'Norton Folgate has brought historic areas of Brick Lane back into use.'
Claire Forty of Wright and Wright stated: 'They are really caring in this project and they are being very honest.'
Ceri Baxter of Pilbrow and Partners commented: 'They have recycled 97% of materials and this is incredibly difficult.'
RUNNERS UP
Smithfield Poultry Market dome restoration (for Museum of London / The London Museum)
Yasmin Ali of Tower Hamlets Council said: 'This is important work to tell the story of the market for future generations and the advent of the new London Museum.'
Battersea Power Station preservation and redevelopment
Ellie Evans of Volterra stated: 'It is a massive effort to do all this - to re-open and restore the chimneys, the control room as well as a high level of retail and restaurants.'
Claire Forty of Wright and Wright said: Battersea has had so many attempts to bring it back, but this is a fantastic vision.'
Above image courtesy H B Reavis
6
Workplaces / interiors
In this category, we looked at innovation in workplace design. How do these projects embrace health and well-being? What are the characteristics of places that people love to work in, and that meet or exceed sustainability standards? How should office space take note of neurodiversity needs?
WINNER
Worship Square London / H B Reavis in Shoreditch
Jenny Gardner of ARC Group said: 'I thought this project was great, it was embracing the ESG dialogue and including bikes to rent and lots of amenities.'
RUNNERS UP
Arup’s new offices at One Centenary Way, Paradise, Birmingham
Laura Matthews of Sheppard Robson commented: 'Some of Worship Square was speculative but Arup has a long history of experimenting with its own offices. I feel that Worship Square had to try harder on sustainability terms.'
Teresa Tirado of BDP stated: 'Arup has really embraced biophilia, the connection with nature is really helping employees.'
The Featherstone Building design and fit out for Buro Happold’s new London offices
Jenny Gardner of ARC Group said: 'The building is well designed, but it did not compete with the other entries.'
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