Award ceremony names Cork's best buildings
Cork's best buildings were honoured yesterday for their efforts to improve the city's streetscape and create a positive perception of Cork for the wider public.
The annual Better Buildings Awards organised by the Cork Business Association, in association with Cork City Council and the Evening Echo took place at the Metropole Hotel.
The awards honour the best designed and best maintained buildings in Cork City and suburbs, and are aimed at rewarding businesses and building caretakers for their efforts to protect, enhance and improve the city’s streetscape, which in turn, significantly contributes to a positive public perception of the city as a vibrant and dynamic place to live, visit, invest and do business in.
This year, in particular, Cork Business Association sought to recognize the huge amount of expansion and planning in Cork, through the awards which were open to any building in the greater Cork area.
The winners were announced by the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Mick Finn. Red FM broadcaster Neil Prendeville, was MC on the day.
The winners of the awards were:
The restoration and redevelopment of the South Pres convent, grounds and schools has literally transformed the South Parish district of the city. With its reimagining as Nano Nagle Place, the complex houses a new School of Architecture, heritage experience, gardens, ‘Good Day Deli’ café and shop.
Located on a prominent, curved corner site, where Union Quay meets Anglesea Street, L’atitude 51 makes the most of its unique frontage with brightly painted upper floors, timber sliding sash windows and attractive shopfront with limestone plinths.
Its colourful flower display enhances the red brick and grey limestone facade adding textural interest to the streetscape. The survival of many original features and materials, such as the fixed timber window and timber sliding sash windows contribute to the significance of the building and the character of Douglas Street.
This freshly painted shopfront with its light green, white and grey colour scheme and use of gold lettering to the fascia, makes an attractive new addition to Grand Parade.
This new office and technology building designed by Cook Architects on Model Farm Road provides a welcome architectural intervention to a suburban office park.
This hotel has recently undergone a spectacular makeover, taking almost 15 years to complete, involving the restoration of many of its original features, the set piece is the original two-storey former country house.
Special Merit Award - Vila, Patrick's Street
The refurbishment and extension of Cork Courthouse on Anglesea Street by the OPW involved extensive restoration work to the former Model School itself, which has been carried out to a very high standard.
The new shopfront to Egan’s Opticians on Lavitt’s Quay with its glazed, latted stone and timber-clad materials, brings new life to this quay front.
Special Merit Award - Crowley’s Opticians, Grand Parade
