Unprecedented success for Urban Splash and Union North
Award winning regeneration company Urban Splash in partnership with architects Union North has received two awards for architecture from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
It is the eighth year in a row that Urban Splash has received RIBA awards for architecture and takes the total given to the company to 19. This year both the Midland Hotel in Morecambe and the 3Towers in Manchester were awarded.
The Midland Hotel, long an architectural icon, brought great challenges for Urban Splash and Union North who were faced with fusing conservation with contemporary design. The result is a beautifully restored building which is now operating as a thriving hotel under English Lakes Hotels.
By contrast, the 3Towers on the fringe of Manchester City Centre comprised three run down 1960s tower blocks which had very limited appeal. The Urban Splash and Union North association gave the buildings new life and they have now been transformed into timber clad apartment blocks with rooftop lights that impose upon the skyline, making a mark on a formerly undesirable location. The building was also completed on limited and modest budgets with the eventual build cost equating to around £100 per sq ft.
Urban Splash chairman Tom Bloxham MBE said: “This really is unprecedented success for Urban Splash. To be recognised by the RIBA so consistently is a testament to our schemes and the efforts of our team and our architects. We’re now looking forward to completing key schemes like Chips and Chimney Pot Park so that we can continue the success next year.”
Added Miles Falkingham, director at architects Union North, the Liverpool based consultancy who designed both the Midland Hotel and 3Towers: “We are delighted to have received these awards. The Midland Hotel and 3Towers are two very contrasting schemes and a different approach was required for each. The RIBA awards reinforce our commitment to making best use of existing buildings whilst incorporating 21st Century design features that will appeal to a wider audiences of residents at 3Towers and visitors to Morecambe.”
Urban Splash has now received a total of 281 awards for its commitment to architecture and regeneration. For further details of the Midland Hotel, 3 Towers or any of the projects Urban Splash has completed visit
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