Liverpool Central Library has beaten The Shard in London to gain the National Building Excellence Award, thanks to its £50m refurbishment, which saw restoration to the historic Grade II listed building whilst combining modernity.
Central Library was awarded the gong for ‘technical innovation’ after judges from Local Authority Building Control (LABC) highlighted the difficulties in combining the new build extension, with the existing Grade II-listed landmark.
Cllr Malcolm Kennedy, cabinet member for regeneration, told the Liverpool Daily Post: “Liverpool Central Library is a world-class development, and we are immensely proud of the work that has been done to combine the new and the old to create a landmark destination building which will meet the needs of our city for generations to come.
“The project has received unanimous praise since its completion in May and we’re delighted to now receive this national accolade from building industry leaders.”
The city also won the prize for ‘Partnership of the Year’ with Liverpool-based developer Downing Construction, which has worked alongside the council on construction projects since 2005.