Cathedral award for king’s project
THE Richard III redesign project at Leicester Cathedral has been named one of the best new buildings in the country.
“With Dignity and Honour” featured in a list of 50 notable new buildings in the UK, produced by Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
It was given to van Heyningen and Haward Architects, and architect Josh McCosh, who worked on the project.
The project delivered the first stage of re-ordering of the church and creating the new tomb for the remains of King Richard III.
It’s now part of a list which includes the Tate Modern’s Blavatnik Building and the British Airways i360, a “vertical pier” in Brighton that rises 138 metres high.
The Dean of Leicester, the Very Reverend David Monteith, said: “We are thrilled that this award recognises the excellence of the design and crafts- manship involved.
“The relationships formed with Josh and his team at vHH were integral to the success of the project.
“The reinterment of King Richard III continues to bring Leicester Cathedral to the attention of tens of thousands of people every year.”
Mr Monteith added: “We are now responding to the fresh challenges and opportunities this has brought for our core mission as a place of faith and hope in an increasingly fractured society.”
Mr McCosh said: “It is testament to the positive teamwork developed with the Cathedral and all involved that the quality of the project is so high.
“It has had such a trans- formative effect on Cathedral and the rounding area.”
Visitor numbers have increased tenfold to over 150,000 a year since the reinterment.
The site was just awarded a 2017 Certificate of Excellence by Trip Advisor, thanks to consistently great reviews.
The cathedral recently announced an ambitious second stage of its redevelopment, aided by a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant.
The £11.3m Leicester Cathedral Revealed (LCR) project will build on the success of 2015.
The church plans to restore and celebrate the Victorian and Arts and Crafts elements of the building, developing a new heritage learning centre. the sur-