Hammersmith Society Holds its Annual Awards Event
Main prize goes to the redevelopment of the former Olympia car park
Trevor Morriss, Principal at SPPARK Architects, and Andrew Thorpe, Managing Director of Yoo Capital receive the Environment Award from the Mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham. Picture: Anne Farthing
October 19, 2026
The Hammersmith Society held its annual awards evening and AGM on Tuesday 13 October, at the Sulgrave Youth Club as part of the club’s centenary celebrations. The event brought together members, architects, designers and community partners to recognise projects that have made a meaningful contribution to the borough’s built environment.
The Society’s principal Environment Award, presented by the Mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham, Cllr Sharon Holder, went to one of the area's most striking recent transformations: the redevelopment of the former Olympia car park. Once a utilitarian structure, the site has been reimagined as a hotel and school – complete with its own theatre – while retaining and extending the distinctive horizontal ribbon windows of Joseph Emberton’s original design.
The judges praised the scheme for its sensitive handling of architectural heritage and its confident new purpose. The award was presented to Trevor Morriss, Principal at SPPARK Architects, and Andrew Thorpe, Managing Director of Yoo Capital, the project’s developer.
Two Nancye Goulden Awards were presented for outstanding urban landscaping, each recognising how thoughtful design can reshape public space.
The first celebrated the new civic square outside Hammersmith Town Hall, where the removal of former barriers has opened up a generous public space that frames the building’s main entrance. The landscaping – already flourishing with established planting – includes comfortable seating, a performance area and a broad path drawing visitors towards the river. The award was presented to landscape architects Paul Winton and Ed Barwell of Gillespies, alongside Andrew Partridge and Mark Rintoul of RSHP, representing the Council as client.
A Nancye Goulden Award is presented to the team behind the new civic square outside Hammersmith Town Hall. Picture: Anne Farthing
The second Nancye Goulden Award recognised the transformation of the wide, previously neglected pavement outside Greenside Primary School. The space has been brought to life through planting, new trees and a design shaped in collaboration with pupils. Supported by the Council’s Green Investment Fund and the Hammersmith Community Gardens Association, the project also incorporates a rainwater garden, demonstrating how environmental sustainability can be embedded at street level. The award was presented to Afsaneh Sladen of Hammersmith Community Gardens Association and Afua Essel, designer and project engineer from LBHF Highways.
Afsaneh Sladen and Afua Essel receive a Nancye Goulden Award. Picture: Anne Farthing
In a rare outcome, no Tom Ryland Conservation Award was made this year, and – even more unusually – no Wooden Spoon was awarded, suggesting a year in which the borough’s built environment offered more to celebrate than to criticise.
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