1 The Island Quarter

by Jestico + Whiles

Client The Conygar Investment Company PLC

Award RIBA East Midlands Award.

1 The Island Quarter is a welcome addition to Nottingham’s entertainment and cultural scene. It forms the gateway to the future development of the area once occupied by the Boots pharmaceutical factory, a site that had sat derelict since the early 1990s.

After a wave of failed proposals by others, the current developer bought the site from receivers in 2016, and embarked upon an ambitious new masterplan. The architects were tasked with creating its first new building, and their design makes the most of the location alongside a previously neglected canal. The tower, housing the stairs, confidently announces itself on the busy road junction, while the red brick and arches root the building in Nottingham’s industrial past. Accommodating restaurants and events spaces, the project has delivered a show of intent, giving the community and planners confidence that a high-quality wider development will follow.

Read the full citation from the RIBA Awards Jury on RIBA Journal.

Contractor Sir Robert McAlpine

Interior Design Macaulay Sinclair

Lighting Design Studio Fractal

Structural Engineer Tier Consult

Civil Engineer BWB Consulting Ltd

Environmental / M&E Engineer Introba

Landscape Architect Axis

Project Management WES Consultancy LLP

Acoustic Engineer Elementa

Executive Architect CPMG Architects

Gross internal area 1,782 m²