The Children’s Library at The Guille-Allès Public Library has been nominated for an RIBA Regional Award in recognition of its architectural excellence.
The already award-winning space (Guernsey Design Awards, 2020 – Commercial) is the only Channel Island nominated project in the South East category, one of nineteen shortlisted projects.
The London-based Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a globally-recognised professional body for architects; hugely respected with a current membership of approximately 28,000 RIBA Chartered Members, CCD Architects’ nomination confirms the quality of its design for the redevelopment of the Children’s Library.
CCD Architects successfully fulfilled the brief to create inspiring spaces for children to read and relax within, improve accessibility, increase book storage, improve the lighting within the space, engage with the historic building and ultimately to create a stronger connection with the public. The creation of plywood staircases and raised walkways, reading nooks and child-accessible bookshelves all contributed to the newly designed library’s success.
Nationally, there are two hundred and twenty-six completed projects representing an ‘unprecedented visual survey of the best work of RIBA members’, quoted from the RIBA website. The regional awards act as first step in the process that leads on to national awards, including the most popular and publically-recognised prize, the Stirling Prize.
The range of the category is broad; CCD Architects is competing against, amongst others, a home for autistic adults to a shore-side enterprise centre, via a brewery, and inspiring educational spaces. The size of the architectural practices delivering these projects ranges from small design studios to multi-disciplinary firms with a global presence.
The RIBA Awards are judged by a team from the RIBA visiting each shortlisted project in person. Due to the current pandemic, judging of all RIBA Awards for buildings is postponed though the judges hope to resume judging in due course and to conclude the awards programme in the second half of this year.
Photo by David Barbour
