Tower Hill wins London Award for Building in an Historic Context

The 2005 Award for Building in an Historic Context, awarded by RIBA London and English Heritage has gone to the Tower Hill Environs Scheme. The Stanton Williams project was considered an outstanding contender by the jury. The jury citation for Tower Hill Environs read: "The quality of the hard landscaping of this scheme is amazing, and balances well against the historic edifice of the Tower. The change in the approach to the Tower is remarkable, befitting its status as a World Heritage Site and Royal Palace. This project demonstrates a strong contribution from all parties: the architect, Tower Hamlets planning department, English Heritage and Historic Royal Palaces. Tower Hill Environs is an important new public square on the river for London".

Jury Member Alan Johnson, Historic Buildings Architect in the Government Historic Estates Unit of English Heritage said: "This year's winner of the joint RIBA/English Heritage Award, The Tower Environs Scheme, has succeeded brilliantly both in upgrading the former hole-and-corner access to the Tower of London to a civic context appropriate to the majesty of the monument and in creating a hugely popular public space of European sweep and scale that is a wonderful new asset of the City of London."

The judges for the award were Simon Foxell (Chairman, RIBA London), Alan Johnson (English Heritage), Silvia Ullmayer (Ullmayer + Sylvester Architects), Paul Baker (Wilkinson Eyre Architects) and Stephen Marshall (Munkenbeck + Marshall).

The RIBA London and English Heritage award for the best building in an historic context is given to the building or other built environment project that, in the opinion of the jury, responds best to its historic location and surroundings. It is not necessarily a conservation award but the jury may chose to recognise exemplary conservation work. The Award is awarded to the highest quality architecture of the present day for the way that it forms part of and contributes to the continuity and history of its London context.

Stanton Williams is an award winning architectural practice with an impressive portfolio across a number of sectors. These include arts and culture, retail, commercial, education and urban design. The practice is characterised by a deep involvement with the way in which people engage with the completed building, and with the skilful manipulation of light, space and texture.