The awards, which were conceived by Raynsford’s boss John Prescott, and organised to coincide with National Construction Week, are designed to honour the UK’s best lottery-funded millennium projects.
More than 100 organisations entered the awards, which were judged by a distinguished panel headed by RIBA president Marco Goldschmied. The other judges were Peter Clapp, head of design at Sport England; Chris Vickers, chairman of the Construction Industry Board; John Hobson, head of the Construction Directorate at the DETR; and John Morgan, chief executive of Morgan Sindall.
The judges were looking for architectural excellence, high-quality construction and an outstanding performance by the whole team. They also awarded high marks for technical innovations, sustainability and good community relations.
One of the problems the judges faced was comparing completed buildings with those at an early stage of design or construction. Some were ruled out but others – such as Cornwall’s Eden Project – were felt to merit a prize because the team’s performance had already been outstanding.
There was a long debate at January’s judging session about which project should be the overall winner. Four projects were given special consideration, including the Wellcome Wing of London’s Science Museum, Edinburgh’s Museum of Scotland and the Ikon Gallery in Birmingham. However, the Lowry Centre was singled out for its breathtaking architecture, the technical complexity of the construction and its huge contribution to the regeneration of the surrounding area. The project has also created thousands of jobs for local people.
To acknowledge the success of a wider range of lottery projects, the judges also selected 11 regional winners, and made four commendations, including several outstanding smaller projects.
Wednesday’s awards ceremony, at London’s Royal Society of Arts, was due to be hosted by Keith Clarke, chairman of the Major Contractors Group, which – along with the DETR and the Millennium Commission – were the main supporters of the scheme. Patrons include architect HRH the Duke of Gloucester, Lord Rogers, and Sir Nigel Mobbs, chairman of developer Slough Estates.
Clarke said: “We think people should celebrate construction. This is clever stuff produced by sophisticated people and good teams. Teamwork has rather gone out of fashion, now that anyone can set up a dot-com in their bedroom with no assets and disappear as soon as they appear. These [construction] projects will be around for years and their quality is quite extraordinary.”
Following this week’s ceremony, a travelling exhibition showcasing the awards will be erected near the winning projects between April and November.
Clarke said he would consider whether to repeat the Celebrating Construction Achievement awards, depending on the level of interest they attract.
