Church Architecture Awards 2024

EASA has again worked with the National Churches Trust to organise the 2024 UK Church Architecture Awards, which were presented at EASA’s postponed AGM and Autumn Meeting on January 16^th 2025.

This year fifteen projects in total were entered for the two main awards, the Presidents’ Award for new church architecture and the King of Prussia Gold Medal for conservation and repair work. Three candidates for the Young Church Architect or Surveyor of the Year were among the short-listed entries.

The winner of the Presidents’ Award was the Lighthouse Church, Heswall, Merseyside. This brand new church building designed by ShedKM Architects replaced a 1960s church on the site. Fronted by a striking glazed elevation, it provides a model of a 21^st century church and community facility in the heart of a small town.

Two schemes were Highly Commended in the same category. The Pineapple Project at St Mary’s Bourne Street in the heart of London’s Belgravia provides a new multi-purpose hall and enhanced access in and around the church. Matthew Lloyd Architects’ designs involved  a sophisticated re-working of a former pub with an extension linking it to the church. At All Saints Newtown, Powys, an early work by Aston Webb, a thorough re-ordering has been combined with a rebuilt modern extension. The result is a warm and welcoming space which retains a sense of quiet spirituality, and provides a new community focus for this often struggling part of mid-Wales. The architect was Charles Cowan.

This year’s King of Prussia Gold Medal was awarded to Benjamin + Beauchamp Architects for a major programme of repairs at St Peter and St Paul, Blandford Forum. Of particular note was the restoration of the plasterwork to the apse ceiling, now protected by a watertight (and insulated) roof.

Highly Commended was St Mary, Stoke-by-Nayland, in Suffolk, where Roderick Shelton Architects carried out masonry and roof repairs to a 15^th century church which features in several of John Constable’s paintings. The previous poor state of the building was partly the result of misguided early 20^th century repairs. Also Highly Commended was another project by Benjamin + Beachamp Architects at St Laurence, East Harptree in Somerset. Again wide ranging repairs were involved to this 12^th century church which contains mediaeval and Victorian wall paintings.

Highly Commended was St Mary, Stoke-by-Nayland, in Suffolk, where Roderick Shelton Architects carried out masonry and roof repairs to a 15^th century church which features in several of John Constable’s paintings. The previous poor state of the building was partly the result of misguided early 20^th century repairs. Also Highly Commended was another project by Benjamin + Beachamp Architects at St Laurence, East Harptree in Somerset. Again wide ranging repairs were involved to this 12^th century church which contains mediaeval and Victorian wall paintings.

The Young Church Architect or Surveyor of the year this year was Tom Griffin of Benjamin + Beauchamp for his work at Blandford Forum and Tom was also the project architect for his firm’s work at East Harptree.