Armagh Mall Redevelopment Wins Prestigious Civic Trust Special Award The restoration and conservation of the Mall in Armagh City was awarded the 2005 Civic Trust Northern Ireland Public Realm Special Award, sponsored by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, earlier this year. In recognition of this achievement, the Planning Service organized an award ceremony at the Cricket Club situated on this beautiful urban green space in Armagh on Thursday 15th September, at which the winning design team – Alastair Coey Architects – and Armagh City and District Council received certificates. Presenting the award to Alastair Coey in Armagh, the Arts Council’s Chief Executive, Roisín McDonough said that she was “especially delighted that this year’s winner has at its heart the sensitive regeneration of the public space of one of Northern Ireland’s most beautiful and architecturally striking cities”. She continued to praise the “sensitive and well considered approach to the delightful open green space of the Mall in Armagh”, and congratulated Armagh City and District Council on their endeavours to bring life back to this restored green space. The Council has plans to organise at least six major events each year in the mall. Speaking on behalf of the Planning Service, Chief Executive David Ferguson, stressed the importance of public places for solitude, recreation and entertainment. He said, “the restored Armagh Mall is an asset to be enjoyed by the citizens of the City and visitors for many years to come.” The Northern Ireland Public Realm Special Award is one of eleven special awards handed out across the UK through the Civic Trust Award scheme this year, which is one of Europe’s most prestigious architecture and environmental design schemes. Vivienne Newlands, Awards Manager for the Civic Trust, explained that “the awards programme has been running now for over 45 years and aims to raise awareness of the everyday impact that buildings and places have on our lives; winning projects such as the Mall are an inspiring example of the positive impact the public realm has on the local community”. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland sponsors the award as part of its work in promoting quality of design in the built environment. Paul Harron, the Arts Council’s Architecture and Public Art Officer, said that this award “recognises those who are setting the very highest standards improving the quality of the built environment in Northern Ireland and through this the quality of life for everyone”. |
