The Foundry — a stripped back and rebuilt former shoe polish factory transformed on a small budget — won the RIBA London Building of the Year Award last night. The building in Vauxhall, designed by Architecture 00, is now a social justice and human rights centre.
Repurposing and refurbishment was a persistent theme at the Riba London Awards, including a 1930s Art Deco former cinema in Bayswater and a refurbished Grade 2 listed religious hall in Euston. Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, meanwhile, scooped the RIBA London Architect of the Year Award for their new flagship store for Foyles on Charing Cross Road — a worthy makeover for the illustrious bookshop.
Though winners include the odd abode that no normal person could ever dream of affording, overall it's heartening to see London's communities benefiting from exceptional architecture: schools and colleges, a leisure centre, churches, a theatre and public spaces all picked up prizes.
For a full list of London winners, and others from across the country, visit RIBA's website.
