The UK’s most inspirational recent building projects went head-to-head at the RICS Awards Grand Ceremony in London on Thursday night where Rochdale Town Hall won Heritage Project of the Year.

It secured the accolade from a shortlist that had included the V&A Museum, Madejski Courtyard in London, the Elizabeth Tower in Westminster, and Edinburgh Futures Institute at University of Edinburgh.

Rochdale Town Hall – considered one of the UK’s most important 19th-century buildings - has been unlocked for 21st-century public use. Despite facing many challenges, the project was delivered on time and on budget, transforming a tired civic building into one that imbues pride within the local community.

Extensive repair and restoration has been undertaken and previously unseen spaces are accessible for the first time. Over 3,600 volunteer, training and job opportunities were created and a heritage skills studio established. The public realm, once carparks, has been transformed into a multi-functional civic space offering a vibrant inclusive welcome.

The RICS UK Awards showcase the most inspirational initiatives and developments in land, real estate, construction and infrastructure, recognising outstanding achievement, teamwork and companies.

Other winners on the night included the Natural History Museum in London, the Stephenson Building at Newcastle University, the prestigious Welcome building in Bristol, and the Thames Tideway Tunnel in London.

Commenting on Rochdale Town Hall, the judges said: “This Grade I listed Victorian Gothic masterpiece, designed by William H Crossland, has been meticulously and sympathetically restored, including a series of design interventions which have been made to improve physical and intellectual access to this much-loved town hall. This exemplar restoration project is pivotal to the heritage regeneration of the whole borough and has ensured that this important 19th century building has its future secured and is now a place of pride for the Rochdale community.”

The prestigious annual event was held at the Hilton Park Lane, London on Thursday 16th October.

Alongside project categories, the winners of the special category awards for infrastructure and environmental impact, as well as the team awards for outstanding contributions to surveying for SMEs and large firms were announced. The winners of the Ambassador of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award were revealed at the ceremony too.

Commenting on the grand final winners, RICS UK Awards National Chair, Kerry Gibbs, said: “It is an honour to judge these awards. We had the pleasure of visiting each of the winning projects, and to meet with the teams behind them, and to see their passion is a truly heartwarming experience. These projects play an integral role in their communities, and wider local economies, and these awards allow us to recognise and celebrate the success of the surveyors across the UK delivering them.

“The teams and individuals behind these projects should be very proud of their successes, a huge congratulations to all of the winners.”

For further information on the RICS UK Awards please visit the RICS website.

The full list of winners at the RICS UK Awards are as follows:

Project of the year - Stephenson Building, Newcastle
Land Management & Sustainable Development Award - Langford Lowfields, Newark
Commercial Development Award - Welcome Building, Bristol
Residential Development Award - Ebury Estate Regeneration, London
Refurbishment/Revitalisation Project Award - Stephenson Building, Newcastle
Public Sector Project Award - Parkhead Health and Social Care and Community Hub, Glasgow
Community Benefit Project Award - Shankill Shared Women's Centre, Belfast
Heritage Project Award - Rochdale Town Hall
Infrastructure Award - Thames Tideway Tunnel, London
Environmental Impact Award - The Natural History Museum, London
Outstanding contribution to surveying Award by an SME – Ekkist
Outstanding contribution to surveying Award by a medium/large firm - Transport for London, Procurement & Commercial, Capital - Construction, Station Enhancements Team (TfLPCCCSE)
Ambassador of the Year – Suki Bell FRICS
Lifetime Achievement Award - Julian Lyon FRICS