image for illustration: The Mill Stream, John O’Groats by Bill Henderson, CC BY-SA 2.0
The Architects’ Journal (AJ) has announced its second set of shortlists for this year’s AJ Retrofit & Reuse Awards: The ‘Conservation and historic and Positive addition’ categories.
The AJ writes:
These awards celebrate architectural excellence in the renewal and repurposing of existing buildings. This year’s 18 categories emphasise the reuse of existing structures and materials, and the lessons learnt. The second set of shortlisted categories to be announced are Conservation and historic (up to £20 million); Conservation and historic (£20 million and over); Positive addition (up to £5 million); and Positive addition (£5 million and over).
Conservation and historic has again this year been divided into two value bands to reflect the breadth of this year’s entries. The under £20 million shortlist ranges from the restoration of civic landmarks to the careful repair of historic educational and religious buildings, with Hopkins Architects, Haverstock and Page\Park Architects among those recognised.
Malcolm Fryer Architects’ work on the SPAB Old House Project at St Andrew’s Chapel joins McGregor Bowes’ revival of John O’Groats Mill and Ian Chalk Architects’ refurbishment of Cambridge’s Arts Theatre on the shortlist.
In the £20 million and over category, major cultural and civic projects dominate. Selldorf Architects with Purcell’s transformation of the National Gallery’s Sainsbury Wing appears alongside Tim Ronalds Architects’ restoration of Bradford Live and Donald Insall Associates’ extensive works to Rochdale Town Hall. Elsewhere, Pilbrow & Partners and Bond Bryan’s conversion of the former Granada cinema into Soho Theatre Walthamstow joins 6a architects’ renewal of Skinners’ Hall and Allford Hall Monaghan Morris’ work at 76 Southbank.
Positive addition, which celebrates contemporary interventions to existing buildings, has also been split into two cost categories…
Formerly known as the AJ Retrofit Awards, the awards programme was renamed the AJ Retrofit & Reuse Awards in 2024 to better reflect the expanding scope of retrofit practice, from adaptive reuse to decarbonisation and whole-life carbon reduction. More than 110 projects have been shortlisted across this year’s awards. Each practice has presented its project to the judges in a virtual session comprising a five-minute presentation followed by up to 10 minutes of questions. The 28-strong jury includes net zero carbon manager Tania Jennings, Max Fordham partner and director of sustainability Hero Bennett and associate professor of the London School of Architecture Ruth Lang.
The winners will be announced at the AJ Retrofit & Reuse Awards on Thursday 24 September at a new venue this year – the Grade II-listed Art Deco live events and music hall The Troxy in east London…
Shortlists
Conservation and historic (up to £20 million)
- The Arts Theatre, Cambridge by Ian Chalk Architects
- Eton College Rackets Building by Hopkins Architects
- John O’Groats Mill by McGregor Bowes
- Maison Dieu (Dover Town Hall) by Haverstock
- St Andrew’s Chapel: The SPAB Old House Project by Malcolm Fryer Architects
- Teviot Row House by Page\Park Architects
- Thomas’s College by IID Architects
Conservation and historic (£20 million and over)
- Bradford Live by Tim Ronalds Architects
- Source: Philip Vile
- 76 Southbank by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
- Bradford Live by Tim Ronalds Architects
- Craighouse by Oberlanders Architects
- Pall Mall by Sheppard Robson
- Plant by FCBStudios, Grant Associates, Studio Knight Stokoe and Twelve Architects
- Rochdale Town Hall by Donald Insall Associates
- Skinners’ Hall by 6a architects
- Soho Theatre Walthamstow by Pilbrow & Partners and Bond Bryan
- The National Gallery Sainsbury Wing by Selldorf Architects with Purcell
Positive addition (up to £5 million)
- The Works by Felix Lewis Architecture & Interiors
- Source: Chris Snook
- Charterhouse School Art and Design Engineering Centre by Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt
- Millport Town Hall by O’DonnellBrown
- Shoemakers Museum by Purcell
- The Branch Community Centre by Clews Architects
- The Green Walk by CarverHaggard
- The Works by Felix Lewis Architecture & Interiors
- West Wickham Library by Brimelow McSweeney Architects
Positive addition (£5 million and over)
- Citizens Theatre by Bennetts Associates
- Source: Hufton + Crow
- 3 Sheldon Square by Morris+Company
- Citizens Theatre by Bennetts Associates
- TBC.London by Stiff + Trevillion
- The Folgate Building by Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands
- York Minster Centre of Excellence by Tonkin Liu
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