Talgarth Road's 'Excellent' LAMDA Extension Wins Major Architecture Award

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Just a day before being compared to a shipping container by the Hammersmith Society!

The new extension of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, or LAMDA in Talgarth Road is proving to be Hammersmith's most talked about buildings.

On July 5, at their annual awards ceremony, the Hammersmith Society gave the building a Wooden Spoon.

These are given out every year to projects the socierty considers to be eyesores or ones that just got it all wrong.

The judges said scathingly of LAMDA's extension: " Whilst the Talgarth Road site is a challenging one, hemmed in as it is by the A4 and the tube line, the building offers nothing to the community and appears like a shipping container left on the roadside that offers no insight into the architectural and cultural creativity within."

However, just the day before on 4 July, the building, designed by Niall McLaughlin Architects was named best Built Winner in the Education category at the New London Architecture Awards, with the judges describing it as 'an excellent scheme delivered on one of the most unforgiving sites in London'.

The architects said: " Our project The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art has won one of this year’s NLA Award in the Built Education category. The New London Awards recognise the very best in architecture, planning and development in the capital.

"30 projects were announced as winners at the awards which were held at the Guildhall and was attended by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan who gave the keynote speech."

This was not the award given this summer to the extension, which was officially opened in June last year, providing a new black-box studio theatre and associated front and back of house facilities to the existing building, plus a new building with ten new flexible drama/ dance studios, a second black-box studio theatre and foyer, a full size training auditorium and ancillary accommodation.

In June it was the winner in this year's Schueco Awards in the Cultural Building category and also received an overall commendation. These awards highlight and celebrate the collaboration between architect, fabricator and specialist contractor.

In spring it was also among 93 buildings across the capital shortlisted for the Royal Institute of British Architecture London Awards 2018.

What do you think of the building - an excellent addition to Talgarth Road or a new eyesore? Let's hear whar you have to say on our Hammersmith forum.

July 20, 2018