The Concourse project beat strong international competition including the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, USA to win the award for best 'Light and Surface Exterior' at an award ceremony on Thursday 13 February 2020.
Judged by leading designers in industry, the Surface Design Awards recognise and celebrate the best use of innovative surface materials in architecture and design from across the globe.
This is the second award for the project after it won the award for Outdoor Lighting Project of the Year at the Lux Awards 2019, organised by the official magazine of the lighting industry, Lux magazine.
Located in the heart of the campus, the Concourse has been brought to life as a vibrant and social space for staff, students and visitors to enjoy.
Arup’s impressive lighting design and the innovative use of materials designed by HLM Architects has made a huge improvement to the area under the flyover and is being enjoyed by students and staff
Keith Lilley
Director of Infrastructure, University of Sheffield
The brutalist concrete viaduct over the Concourse has been transformed into a colourful gathering space for students, staff and visitors with an innovative lighting scheme, designed by Arup.
The flexible civic space has been designed to accommodate events which take place regularly. At night, the new lighting scheme has created a safer and more secure space for those passing through.
The Concourse redevelopment was part of the University’s Masterplan to improve key spaces, not only for students and staff to enjoy, but also for the wider Sheffield community.
Keith Lilley, Director of Infrastructure at the University of Sheffield, said: “We’re absolutely delighted that the Concourse lighting scheme has won a second industry award for its innovative light and surface design.
Arup’s impressive lighting design and the innovative use of materials designed by HLM Architects has made a huge improvement to the area under the flyover and is being enjoyed by students and staff.”
The Concourse project also included impressive new paving and seating, improved access for cycles, and new plants and trees. A new artwall celebrating the University’s prestigious alumni will be installed in the next few months as the finishing touch to the redevelopment.