Announcing the FX Awards 2019 Winners!
Mixed-Use Development
Winner: Spanish City by ADP
Image Credit: Andrew Heptinstall
Sponsored by Armstrong Ceiling Solutions
The brief was to sympathetically restore and regenerate the iconic Grade II listed Spanish City in line with North Tyneside Council’s £6m seafront masterplan.
Originally built in 82 days as a showpiece for the pleasure grounds, Spanish City was on the verge of being lost for good, having fallen into a serious state of disrepair with some major structural, weatherproofing and dry and wet rot issues. Several scheme options were considered with varying degrees of intervention.
The ethos of the interiors was to restore and work with the historic fabric while drawing on more contemporary finishes, materials, lighting and fittings to revitalise the internal spaces. Original ornate plasterwork had decayed or been removed over the years, and contemporary conservation techniques were used to restore these features, pieced together using archive images and remaining features. ADP removed the central area of a first floor inserted into the rotunda in later years. While it had been dark and inflexible, removing the floor returned it to its 1910 grandeur.
Services were cleverly concealed in the main dome behind specially designed suspended acoustic, heating and lighting panels, while service spaces are located in contemporary and sympathetic additions to limit unnecessary adaptation. These are clad in perforated pre-patinated copper panels for the unforgiving marine environment.
Internally, all public areas enjoy level access and inclusive design. The refurbishment has provided new leisure facilities, family-friendly restaurants, a fine-dining champagne bar, tearooms and event spaces. Additional first floor space and the enclosure of the loggias add commercial viability for use throughout the year.
The judges said...
‘Amazing restoration – extremely high-quality spaces providing a social hub and uplifting connection with the community’
Finalists & Judges’ Comments
Dept W by BuckleyGrayYeoman
‘Well-considered interior renovation’
Qinghuahai Park, Mountain without Boundaries by Das Design
‘A striking interior concept with a variety of daylight-infused spaces. Well-considered colour, materials, furniture selections’
Greenland group by Das Design
‘Spatial qualities and use of timber in the interiors create a memorable design’
Dandelion Chocolate Factory by Gensler
‘A stunning redevelopment project – well-crafted interiors, engaging spaces, with a strong sense of context and history’
Xian Legend Chanba The Willow Shores Sales Center by HCD Impress
‘Well-crafted timber architectural features clearly aligned with a collection of timber furniture’
Navigator by Kris Lin International Design
‘Incredible concept that has realised a unique and stunning building externally and internally’
Palazzo delle Poste di Salerno by Lombardini22
‘Absolutely gorgeous refurbishment with sympathetic use of colour and materials palette in public areas resulting in an authentic renovation’
MDR Truss Campus, California by Rapt Studio
‘Delightful! A really wonderful campus’
