Vote now for your favourite new building in York

No, this vote is much more important. It’s your chance to vote for what you think is the best new building in York.

It isn’t only the best new building you get to vote for in the York Design Awards ‘people’s choice’ award, however.

The design projects entered for this year’s awards also include a lovely new children’s play area at the Red Tower; the restoration of some magnificent medieval stained glass windows at All Saints Church in North Street; and the transformation of the clock tower at the former Terry’s factory into flats.

The Red Tower play area (Image: York Design Awards committee)

Other schemes entered for this year’s awards include the National Railway Museum’s new ‘Wonderlab’; phase 2 of the city council’s Lowfield development; and a beautiful staircase at a private home in St Mary’s Lane.

Elegant: the staircase at St Mary's Lane (Image: York Design Awards committee)

These and a dozen or so other entries are all featured in an exhibition this week in the foyer of York Explore central library on Library Square.

The exhibition includes photographs and design plans plus a few details about each entry. You can browse to your heart’s content, then vote for your favourite in the special ballot box provided.

The York Design Awards 'people's choice' exhibition at York central library this week, where you can vote for your favourite new building scheme (Image: Stephen Lewis)

Or, if you can’t get over to the library, you can browse all the entries and cast your vote online on the York Design Awards website, yorkdesignawards.org/

This is the 16th year the awards have been held.

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Design Awards chair Ann Reid says the aim of the annual awards scheme is simple – to drive up the quality of new buildings and restoration and design projects in the city.

The restored medieval window at All Saints, North Street (Image: York Design Awards committee)

“York is such a special place it is important to ensure that the standard of new development is the highest that it can be,” she said.

“Year after year, the York Design Awards strives to give architects, developers, organisations, and individuals across York a stage to show their hard work in contributing to the city of York.

“Whether a preservation project or a completely new development, it has been a pleasure to give a new platform to design professionals in the industry and encourage others to give their all to projects.”

Inside the clockface at the clocktower at the former Terrys factory. The clocktower and other buildings at the site have been converted into flats (Image: York Design Awards committee)

Each year, a judging panel of distinguished architects visits every one of the entries. They will be making their own decisions about which schemes deserve recognition for their excellence.

But there are two awards which are decided on by the people of York – the people’s choice award, and the young people’s award.

Wonderlab at the National Railway Museum (Image: York Design Awards committee)

It is those two awards that you can vote for this week – if you’re 18 or over, your vote will count towards the people’s choice award, while if you’re under 18 it will count towards the young people’s award.

You’d better hurry, though, if you want to cast your vote – voting closes on Thursday evening.

All the winners will be announced at a special York Design Awards ceremony to be held at the Creative Centre at York St John University from 6-9pm on Monday July 1.