Thames Tower, the unstoppable force of this terracotta giant, continues to make us proud. Last Thursday the creative refurbishment received recognition at the RIBA South Awards, taking home a RIBA South Award & RIBA Sustainability Award.
The critiques from the judges were overwhelmingly supportive, stating Thames Tower is ‘a model of creative sustainability’, ‘a model of restraint and refinement’ and that ‘the whole thing is an object lesson in the virtue of studied simplicity’.
“Thames Tower distinguishes itself through the creative re-use of the skeleton of its predecessor, the huge contribution it makes to the public realm, and the refined purity of its architecture.” – RIBA Judges 2018
They went onto say; “The effect on the surrounding area is remarkable. Reading’s major urban space is now graced by a building of modern majesty. The building’s calm aura of assured quality upgrades the space – and the town.” To read the rest of what the judges had to say click here.
We are honoured to have received recognition for designing a ‘new type of office for the Thames Valley’, oozing collaborative spirit with co-working spaces and a contemporary fit-out. Having just won a BCO Regional Award the week before, it is fair to say Thames Tower is on a winning streak.
“The decision to opt for a refurbishment was influenced by the aspiration to sustainably reduce the building’s embodied energy.”
Winning the RIBA Sustainability Award has been a particularly great achievement as the decision to opt for a refurbishment was influenced by the aspiration to sustainably reduce the building’s embodied energy. By renovating the building instead of designing an entire new build this has had a significant positive environmental impact as the entire structural frame of the existing building was re-used. To be recognised for this by the RIBA is certainly a great accomplishment.
We’d like to thank everyone involved in what has been a truly fantastic experience bringing this building back to life. Winning this award has been due to the strength of the entire project team that were always looking for ways to innovate.
