Aquatic centre floated as Landmark of the Year
Oct 17 2008 by Graeme King, The Journal
THE Sunderland Aquatic Centre was named as the Landmark of the Year 2008 at The Journal’s Landmark Awards last night.
The construction and development industry awards, sponsored by law firm Watson Burton, are now in their fifth year of giving recognition to the region’s best buildings.
The aquatic centre triumphed to take the overall Landmark of the Year title after already winning the retail/leisure and public sector categories. Judges said the aquatic centre was “well conceived and executed” and was also impressive in delivering, from a design perspective, a complex building for a “by no means excessive” budget.
Prizes were awarded to representatives of the project’s architects Red Box Design Group, developer Sunderland City Council and contractor Balfour Beatty. The awards were held at the Marriott Gosforth Park Hotel in Newcastle.
Coun Dave Allan, of Sunerland City Council, said: “This is a tremendous night for the people of Sunderland. To win so many prizes at a Tyneside awards evening.
“The aquatic centre is the only 50m pool between Edinburgh and Leeds and we will welcome all people from the North East to use this tremendous facility.”
Rob Langley, senior partner at Watson Burton, said: “It was a great night for property professionals across the region tonight, and a tremendous triple winner for Sunderland with three awards.”
Richard Freeman Wallace, head of property at Watson Burton, said: “The Landmark awards focus on the people at the sharp end – contractors, architects and developers.”
The Journal Landmark Awards, which are also sponsored by Allied Irish Bank (GB), were instituted in 2004 and have seen some of the most iconic buildings in the North East recognised for their contribution to the landscape.
The judges of the Landmark Awards are Richard Freeman- Wallace, Chris Dixon of Allied Irish Bank (GB), Jeff Alexander of Surgo Construction, John Burns of Mackellar Architecture, Rita Callender of the Environment Practice, Mike Foggon of Faithful+Gould, Graeme King of The Journal, Simon Murray of the Construction Industry Training Board, and experienced construction industry executive Phil Young.
Winners
Landmark of the Year
Sunderland Aquatic Centre
Retail/leisure
Winner: Sunderland Aquatic Centre
Runners up: Memphis in Darlington
Time Central in Newcastle
Office development
Winner: The Place in Sunniside, Sunderland
Runners up: Memphis, Darlington
Time Central, Newcastle
Public sector
Winner: Sunderland Aquatic Centre
Runners up: Excelsior Academy in Newcastle
Sacriston Surgery in County Durham
Environmental
Winner: Sacriston Surgery in County Durham
Runners up: The Place in Sunderland
Sunderland Aquatic Centre
Residential development
Winner: Mowbray Park apartments, Sunderland
Runners up: Park Tower in Hartlepool
Rivers Gate in Walker, Newcastle.
Judges’ Gem
Winner: Fourways 2, Amble
