LONDON.- The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced Sheerness Dockyard Church in Kent, by Hugh Broughton Architects as the winner of its Reinvention Award. 2025.
The 19th century Grade II* listed former church on the Isle of Sheppey, which has been restored and repurposed into a community centre and co-working space, was declared the winner at the Stirling Prize ceremony in London’s Roundhouse on 16 October.
The award recognises buildings that have been creatively reused to improve their environmental, social, or economic sustainability, to increase their longevity and energy efficiency, rather than demolishing and rebuilding them.
The disused building, which had been on Historic England’s ‘Heritage at Risk’ register due to fire damage, was sensitively restored by Hugh Broughton Architects using innovative material, and employing local skills and labour, to preserve its exterior and retain original features.
Its transformation has involved stabilising and restoring surviving masonry walls, reinstating the original parapets which were lost in the 19th century, and entirely dismantling and rebuilding the tower. One of the two cantilevered stone stairs has also been reinstated, while the 1828 roof profile has been restored, minus its original cast-iron columns, which are now replaced by single-span supports.
Beneath its contemporary roof structure sits a simple steel frame, supporting a mezzanine level and there are now access bridges between one limewashed masonry wall and another, while movable partition walls and glazed screens make it easy to adapt the space to suit every gathering.
The former church’s new multi-faceted role as a community facility hosting a co-working space, café, public exhibition areas and an events venue has breathed new life into the community and Sheerness as a whole.
Hugh Broughton, Director Hugh Broughton Architects, said: “It is so exciting to win this fabulous award. Alongside Martin Ashley Architects, we have been so lucky to work with the amazing Dockyard Trust on the reinvention of George Ledwell Taylor’s remarkable Dockyard Church, revealing its architectural splendours and elegant proportions once more for the people of Sheerness to enjoy.
The reinvigorated building has been removed from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register and now provides a focus for young entrepreneurs and local businesses, a place for the community to learn about their history, a venue for a wide range of public events and a brilliant café.”
Jury Chair and Managing Director, Marks Barfield Architects, Julia Barfield, said: “Fifty-one per cent of RIBA UK award winners this year are for refurbishment or conservation projects. The Reinvention Award aims to boost this further by shining a light on the most exceptional and truly transformational reinvention projects because this is the direction of travel that our industry needs to go in -- reducing waste, reusing materials and retrofitting -- instead of demolishing.
Faced with four outstanding projects with dramatically different strengths led to lively discussion between the jury, as we weighed up heritage versus climate imperatives, and social benefit, versus design quality. Eventually a literal phoenix from the flames project emerged.
Sheerness Dockyard Church, the restored husk of a Grade ii* church that’s been transformed into a vibrant community hub in one of the UK’s most deprived areas is a truly powerful symbol of civic pride that represents how the town is being revitalised to serve a thriving community. It has clearly already had a profound impact on the wider Sheerness area and is therefore a deserving winner of the Reinvention Award."
The Reinvention Award 2025 jury comprised: Julia Barfield, Managing Director, Marks Barfield Architects, Chair, Stephanie Crombie, Supernatural Studio, Sustainability Advisor, Leanne Tritton Hon. FRIBA, Don’t Waste Buildings, Lay assessor, Edward Farleigh-Dastmalchi, fardaa, Reinvention Winner, 2024
