Skip to main content

The Box wins Abercrombie Award

The Box

The Box, Plymouth's iconic new museum and archive, has been awarded the prestigious Abercrombie Award.

The Abercrombie Awards are hosted by the Council every three years to celebrate the role of groups, architects, designers and building companies in shaping the city.

Named after the architect responsible for the plan to rebuild Plymouth after the Blitz, the awards take a look at a huge range of work from small conversions and projects to transform open spaces to multi-million pound housing or business projects.

A £46 million project opened in September 2020, The Box was chosen as the stand out winner at the awards night on Friday 12 November.

The overall winner, the Abercrombie Award is chosen by the judges from schemes nominated in other categories which demonstrate design excellence and innovation and which makes the greatest contribution to planning in Plymouth.

Other winners on the night included the Devonport Market Hall, voted winner in the best conversion or conservation project category and Primrose Park, a passivhaus development that scooped the Best Housing Development award.

Meanwhile, The Homeless Sleeping Pods were the winners of the People's Award, voted for by residents.

Full list of winners:

Best conversion or conservation project
Winner: Devonport Market Hall
Highly Commended: Wyndham Hall
Commended: Hamoaze Sleeping Pods

Best smaller development
Winner: Pilgrim Court
Commended: Hartley Gardens

Best commercial project
Winner: Home Park, Plymouth Argyle
Commended: Plymouth Lighthouse Labs

Best new housing development
Winner: Primrose Park
Highly Commended: North Prospect Phase 3

Best new building
Winner: The Box
Highly Commended: Devonport Market Hall

Best public space
Winner: The Box Public Realm
Commended: Quadrant Quay, Millbay

Best natural infrastructure project
Winner: Central Park Community Sports Hub
Highly Commended: Teats Hill
Commended: Plymouth Tree Challenge

Best community project
Winner: Delamere Road Pocket Park
Commended: Star Park

Best response to the climate emergency
Winner: Future Plymouth 2030
Highly Commended: Millbay Boulevard
Commended: Primrose Park

Judges Special Award
Winner: Devonport Towers

People of Plymouth Award
Winners: Hamoaze House Homeless Sleeping Pods

The Abercrombie Award
Winner: The Box

Councillor Patrick Nicholson, Deputy Leader of Plymouth City Council, said: "It’s so pleasing to be able to showcase all of the fantastic innovation and investment that is being made in our city at the Abercrombie Awards.

“Despite all that has gone on in the world since the last awards, there were still some incredible projects in what I think was one of the strongest field in a number of years.

“Congratulations to all that won awards. Let’s hope our winners are just as impressive at our next awards in 2024.”