Elizabeth Tower wins Civic Trust's Michael Middleton Special Award

Presented as a memorial and tribute to Michael Middleton CBE, who established the Civic Trust Awards in 1959, the award is given to an outstanding restoration project or new build within a conservation area.  

The Elizabeth Tower project was praised for not only restoring the tower’s structural integrity and aesthetic splendor, but sensitively improving functionality, while prioritising the re-use of original materials and the preservation of heritage crafts and skills.  

The successful restoration of this project has been made possible by a large, multi-disciplinary team, including client Strategic Estates; architect Purcell; project manager Lendlease; QS Currie & Brown; structural engineers AECOM; building services consultant SI Sealy; contract host Turner & Townsend; fire engineering Buro Happold; conservator Cliveden Conservation; building control SOCOTEC; fire consultancy Falck Consulting, Ashton Fire, FSI/ETEX; main contractor Sir Robert McAlpine; scaffold PHD; cast iron roof refurbishment Shepley Engineers; in-situ iron redecoration Universal Coatings; stonework and joinery DBR Ltd; glazing to clock dial and bronze windows John Reyntiens; clock restoration Cumbria Clock Restoration; M&E Tillbury Douglas; fire systems Hall & Kay; fire protection Kilnbridge; lifts Stannah; and Revit modelling Plowman Craven.  

Other winning Purcell projects on the night included the National Portrait Gallery (a collaboration with Jamie Fobert Architects; Civic Trust Award winner and Highly Commended for the Selwyn Goldwmith Award for Universal Design) and the V&A Photography Centre (with Gibson Thornley; Highly Commended for a Civic Trust Award).