The Faith Museum in Bishop Auckland has been awarded ‘Grand Winner’ in the Royal Fine Art Commission Trust’s 2024 Building Beauty Awards.
Designed by Níall McLaughlin, the museum opened to the public in October 2023 and is part of The Auckland Project’s collection of attractions, which have also been recognised for their architectural achievements by RIBA.
The national Building Beauty Awards celebrate new buildings, engineering feats and landscaping schemes which add beauty to the British Isles.
The 2024 Building Beauty Awards were presented by His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester at a dinner in London.
Built with sandstone, the Faith Museum’s winning construction pays homage to Medieval Christian iconography.
The judges felt that the use of materials will weather over time and fit seamlessly into the architectural designs of famed neoclassical and neo-Gothic English architect James Wyatt, who transformed the site into Auckland Palace in the late 18th century.
Judges also commended the authoritative yet refined power which the new building commands, introducing visitors to the grandeur of Auckland Palace.
The Faith Museum stands proudly at the entrance to the Palace which was the home of Durham’s Prince Bishops for centuries and remains one of the best-preserved Bishop’s palaces in Europe.
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
