12 November 2009 The new Towner has scooped another prestigious prize, taking the top award for architecture in the 2009 British Design Awards, brought to you by Elle Decoration. This is the second major accolade for Towner in a week, after Rick Mather Architects were awarded the Public Buildings Architect of the Year Award for their work on Eastbourne’s new art gallery.
Towner bagged the Architectural Achievement Award in the 2009 British Design Awards after the judges were blown away by the new gallery’s forward-thinking and accessible design. The award was announced at a special ceremony on 10 November.
The British Design Awards celebrate the UK’s creative elite, drawn from the worlds of design, fashion and art. The awards represent the people, products and places that put the “Great” into British design - from beautiful, useful and timeless creations by home-grown talent, to the best new interiors, architecture and fashion.
Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism, Cllr Susan Morris, said “This amazing accolade confirms that Towner is among the cream of contemporary British design. The British Design Awards are the definitive guide to the best of style and design in the UK, and we are thrilled that Towner has once again caught the judges’ attention and won their hearts.
“With Towner placing Eastbourne firmly on the map for cutting edge design, we hope this will encourage people throughout the UK and further afield to look at Eastbourne in a new light!”
It was also announced last week that Rick Mather Architects have won the Architect of the Year Award for Public Buildings (presented by Building Design, the UK’s number one architectural publication), as a result of their work on Towner. The judges concluded that Rick Mather have produced some of the best designs for public buildings and the urban realm in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
The news of these exciting awards comes after Towner excelled earlier this year in the Condé Nast Traveller Innovation & Design Awards, which celebrate excellence in design and innovation across the globe.
A team of experts selected 18 cultural attractions from around the world to shortlist in the Culture category, pitting Towner alongside other iconic and exciting designs such as Tel Aviv’s Design Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago. Final selection by public vote saw Towner finish in the top 5 – an inspiring result for one of only two attractions on the shortlist based outwith a major world city.
