Town hall award recognises Rochdale's 'ambition'

A Grade I-listed town hall which reopened two years ago, following a £20m restoration, has won four coveted architecture awards.

Rochdale Town Hall closed in 2020 for regeneration, bringing rooms which had previously been hidden from public view back into use.

Mark Robinson, director of economy at Rochdale Council said the awards were a "powerful endorsement" of the town's ambition and their belief in the Hall's restoration.

The historic building received the RIBA North West Awards at a ceremony in Manchester on Wednesday, alongside winners which included BDP's £13m transformation of former department store Rackhams into Foundation - a mixed-use hub in Altrincham's town centre.

The Royal Institute of British Architects' (RIBA) conferred four awards on Rochdale Town Hall including the North West Award, the North West Project Architect of the Year, North West Client of the Year and the North West Conservation Award.

Robinson said: "This exceptional level of recognition is a powerful endorsement of Rochdale's ambition and belief in the long-term value of regeneration led by heritage, culture and quality.

"Managing the restoration of Rochdale Town Hall on behalf of the council was a complex and demanding task, but one driven by a clear vision to return this extraordinary building to the people of Rochdale and use it as a catalyst for wider renewal.

"These awards show that Rochdale can deliver projects of national and international significance, and they reinforce the Town Hall's role as a symbol of confidence, pride and opportunity for the borough."

Chairman of RIBA North West jury, Pablo Iglesias, said: "Visiting this year's award-winning projects revealed a body of work distinguished by skill, craft, and a clear responsiveness to context.

"The rural projects offer exemplary models for the conversion of agricultural buildings, combining restraint with spatial invention."

The "comprehensive" restoration of the town hall is "matched by a step change in accessibility and engagement, reopening the building as an inclusive civic place and shared community asset", he added.

RIBA North West Award winners will now be considered for a RIBA National Award which will be announced on 9 July.

The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize for the best building of the year will be drawn from the RIBA National Award-winning projects later in the year.

RIBA's award-winning north-west buildings :

• Bank Barn Reimagined, by Gagarin Studio Architects - reinvention of a historical barn on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park
• Byre House, by MawsonKerr Architect - conversion of a former Cumbrian barn into family home & studio,
• Kempston Street, by Studio MUTT - transformation of a former hat factory in Liverpool's Fabric District into a flexible workspace
• The Dalton Building at Manchester Metropolitan University, by BDP with 5plus Architects - a flagship facility for teaching and research

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