Last night, the @farrellcentre received a 2025 RIBA North East Award, the result of a collaborative design effort between @elliottarchitectsltd and SPACE Architects. Commissioned by Newcastle University and supported by funding from Sir Terry Farrell, the centre sits at the edge of the university campus, reclaiming and reimagining a Grade II-listed former department store in the heart of the city.
Farrell’s ambition was to create an urban room for Newcastle, a civic space where the built environment is observed, challenged and actively debated. Opened to the public in 2023, the building now serves as a hub for architectural dialogue, part of the School of Architecture, Planning & Landscape, and an invitation to the public to engage with the spaces shaping their daily lives.
The design respects the dual character of the building. As the jury noted, “The building is a tale of two halves. The front part had a wealth of beautiful period details which have been preserved and enhanced. The rear of the building had been largely stripped of features in its previous life as a doctors’ surgery, which has allowed a series of more significant interventions to be made.”
