A ‘remarkable’ retrofit of Brighton’s timber-framed landmark arts centre by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, the Brighton Dome Corn Exchange & Studio Theatre has been named the UK’s best timber building – winning the Gold Award at the 2024 Wood Awards.
Set within historic Regency gardens and adjoining the famous Royal Pavilion, the Grade-I listed Corn Exchange and Grade-II listed Studio Theatre buildings have been thoroughly restored, strengthened and remodelled – revealing a rich timber heritage to visitors fortunate enough to visit.
As well as improving connection and accessibility with the introduction of a new foyer space and café, the project has seen the careful repair and restoration of the UK’s longest single-span timber frame through phenomenal effort and incredible engineering by the project team.
By re-analysing the whole structure, meticulously understanding every joint and size, the project team brought the building up to modern design standards with a solution that preserves and enhances the original timber roof – repairing rather than replacing damaged parts.
Through the matching of old timber with new, the team has created a stunning space with an inherent warmth in its colour, which acts as an ode to the UK’s timber heritage.
Working closely with theatre and timber experts, this project has brought major technical and operational improvements to the South Coast’s leading arts venue and extended the lifespan of this unique timber building by over 100 years.
The construction for Brighton Dome Corn Exchange & Studio Theatre was completed by R. Durtnell & Sons and Westridge Construction Ltd, with wood supplied by Neil Burke Joinery and Weitzer Parkett. The structural engineers were Arup and the building services and sustainability consultants were Max Fordham.
“This project highlights two important criteria for the Wood Awards. Firstly, it has retained and carefully restored an historic structure and secondly, the new work has been sensitively designed to fit within it. This team has put heart and soul into this endeavour, and we are happy to recognise that,” said Jim Greaves, lead judge of the Wood Awards and Principal of Hopkins Architects.
“Every aspect of design has been considered within the interior of this building. The historic roof, stripped bare, sits atop a newly restored interior that recalls the earlier use of the building as a riding school. A space that historically was given over to the horses is now given over to the public.
“The Brighton Dome Corn Exchange & Studio Theatre stands as an excellent example of restoration and reuse which we can all learn from. The building demonstrates that advanced engineering and skilled craftmanship allied with a sensitive approach to design can deliver a newly restored and repurposed building fit for the 21st century.”
The Wood Awards building judges, a team of world-leading professionals, visited all 18 buildings shortlisted in the Wood Awards before deciding the winner, in one of the UK’s most rigorous assessments for any competition.
Brighton Dome Corn Exchange & Studio Theatre won out over more than 150 buildings in the UK to claim the Gold Award. It was a triple winner, as in addition it took out the awards for both the Restoration & Reuse, and Structural categories.
“Congratulations to the team behind the Brighton Dome Corn Exchange & Studio Theatre, and all entrants in this year’s Wood Awards,” said David Hopkins, CEO of Timber Development UK (organisers of the Wood Awards).
“Timber - and retrofit - have crucial roles in decarbonising construction, and as an organisation we spend a lot of time campaigning, promoting and educating about the role of timber. But there is no substitute for showing examples in practice.
“All of the winners and the shortlisted projects are incredible examples of British architecture and design, and I know the judging gets more difficult every year – with so many wonderful timber buildings in the UK continuing to emerge.
“We are seeing climate conscious architects, engineers, and other designers increasingly choosing to use wood as the primary material in their projects – recognising its low-carbon nature, warmth, and beauty – which has so brilliantly been put on display this year.
“Every single one of the entrants were remarkable, and we hope that the 2024 awards will inspire even more designers to work with wood.”
You can find out more information about all of the 2024 Wood Award winners by visiting www.woodawards.com.
As a not-for-profit competition, the Wood Awards can only happen with collaborative industry sponsorship. A huge thank you for continued support from The Carpenters’ Company, American Hardwood Export Council and Timber Development UK.
