Union Terrace Gardens named Scotland’s best new building by RIAS
Union Terrace Gardens by LDA Design and Stallan Brand has been named the best new building in Scotland.
The £28m regeneration of the historic park in Aberdeen has been chosen as the winner of this year’s Doolan Award, the most prestigious prize for architecture in Scotland.
The project, the first public realm project to win the award, has overhauled the city centre park with new landscaped pathways and three pavilions containing a cafe, restaurant and wine bar.
Historic features in the park, which opened in 1879, have also been restored including arcade arches, statues and Victorian era toilets.
Mary Duggan, founder of Mary Duggan Architects and chair of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) Doolan Award jury, said the scheme “draws people in without intimidation: an open invitation that promotes a sense of community through a genuine public offering, and delivering precisely the opposite of what the space had become through years of neglect.”
She added: “Beyond its architectural and horticultural precision, the project is a demonstration of civic governance, endurance and responsibility.
“This ten-year investment by Aberdeen City Council embodies a form of public trust and collective patience that is rarely seen in contemporary procurement, while also delivering an exemplar quality, with a deeper attitude towards sustainability and democracy.”
RIAS president Karen Anderson described the scheme as “outstanding”, praising it for “demonstrates perfectly how architecture can enrich the lives of everyone who encounters it.”
Union Terrace Gardens was one of four projects shortlisted for the award, beating the restoration of a 16th century tower by Simpson & Brown, a rural bridge by Moxon Architects and a research and teaching building by Sheppard Robson.
The Andrew Doolan prize is named in memory of visionary Scottish architect and developer Andy Doolan, who died in 2004. It is the culmination of RIAS’ annual awards programme, with the shortlist drawn from the winners of the RIAS Awards which were announced in June.
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