PENARTH Pier Pavilion has won Project of the Year at an awards ceremony celebrating the most inspirational building developments.

Beating projects such as The Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth, Jaguar Land Rover building in Wolverhampton and Porthmeor Artists’ Studios in St. Ives, the RICS Project of the Year award is given to the building project that is considered by the judging panel as “the most remarkable on the shortlist”.

As well as factors such as design, appearance and value for money, other important considerations in making the award are “economic viability”, “perceived impact on the end users in the long term”, and “how the project has performed since completion”.

Since re-opening to the public in December last year, Penarth Pier Pavilion has gone from strength to strength. Welcoming more than 75,000 visitors through its doors, the building has quickly become a central part of the local community as well as boosting tourism to the surrounding area. It now houses an art gallery, cinema, café, learning space and hosts community events throughout the year. Alongside this, the building is the venue for an extensive education programme, serving young people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

The Pavilion’s director, Dr David Trotman, said: “I’m so proud of my staff, volunteers, trustees and the people of Penarth who have proved that such an important and relevant project for our town and for Wales can be delivered successfully. We are committed to ensuring that this project and the principles it was built upon endure for many generations.”

The RICS awards grand final was held at the Savoy Hotel in London last Friday, October 17.

RICS Judges said: “Penarth Pier Pavilion is an outstanding project which combines building conservation with community benefit.”

RICS President, Louise Brooke-Smith, added:

“Penarth Pier Pavilion serves every part of the community, generates business and restores civic pride.

“The RICS Awards pay tribute to the skills and expertise of professionals working across all sectors of the built environment. The standard set by the shortlisted projects was extremely high; each one is an example of how property professionals with inspirational schemes, large or small, can transform our lives, communities and environment.”

The Penarth Pier Pavilion Project was conceived and is now run by its parent charity, Penarth Arts and Crafts Limited. The charity’s aims are to restore heritage buildings and bring arts closer to the community.