This year, four pubs were singled out by the judges. In the ‘Refurbished’ category, the Princess Louise, High Holborn, London, was a joint winner with the Castle Inn, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire.
The Princess Louise pub was awarded owing to its reintroduction of the original, multi-bar layout, complete with bar doors and snob screens, while the Castle Inn was recognized for it’s handsome Georgian pub’s historic features while gearing the interior to its inevitably up market and food-oriented clientele.
Meanwhile, the White Horse, Overton on Dee, Wrexham, was ‘Highly Commended’ in the category for its outstanding work. In the ‘New Build’ category, Zero Degrees, Reading, Berkshire, was the overall winner.
The White Horse pub retains its Overton cultural building. Bright new stained glass, wooden partitions and salvaged fireplaces and other new elements won it accolades.
Zero Degrees reflects a glass-fronted design, making an architectural virtue of its in-house brewing equipment. Industrial aesthetics of the pub is defined by the brightly-polished brewing plant, which predominates but does not overwhelm.
This year the judges decided not to present any award in the categories of English Heritage Conservation Award, Conversion to Pub Use, or CAMRA’s Joe Goodwin Award.
CAMRA’s Pub Design Awards began in 1983, and over the years has remained dedicated to championing pubs showing vision, imagination and a level of restraint in their design.
