The Buttermarket in Redruth, Cornwall, has been named Retrofit of the Year at the prestigious AJ Retrofit & Reuse Awards, which celebrate architectural excellence in renewing and repurposing existing buildings. The heritage-led regeneration project also claimed victory in the Conservation and Historic (under £10 million) category at the ceremony held Wednesday, September 10, at The Brewery in the City of London.
The awards program encompasses 16 categories that emphasize the reuse of materials and structures, covering everything from adaptive reuse to decarbonization and net zero retrofit projects. In addition to the category winners, three special editorial awards were presented: Retrofit of the Year, Practice of the Year, and Client of the Year. Judges extensively praised The Buttermarket project for its harmonious integration with historic architecture and its profound importance to the local community.
"There are so many aspects to champion about this scheme: community and heritage regeneration, social inclusion, sustainability, impact and collaboration, to name a few," said the AJ editorial team. The £4 million project received particular commendation for its client, Redruth Revival CIC, a volunteer-led community interest company whose exemplary approach to community regeneration and collaboration secured multiple funding opportunities that have helped revitalize the Cornish town.
Designed by Architectural Thread, The Buttermarket represents the revival of one of Redruth's most cherished historic buildings. The project has broadened the building's civic and commercial role, transforming it into a vibrant community hub featuring workspaces, shops, a gallery, food hall, and an active program of markets and entertainment. Located in the westernmost part of Cornwall, Redruth flourished during the 18th and 19th centuries through tin and copper mining but today faces significant social and economic challenges.
The original two-story market building featured an open ground floor facing a courtyard with colonnades that housed butchers' stalls, while the upper floor served as a meeting space. Though unusual for Cornwall, the loggia style was a popular architectural model for market buildings of that era. Despite being Grade II-listed, the cluster of buildings had fallen into disrepair over the years.
In 2017, the buildings were acquired by the Redruth Revival Community Interest Company (CIC) with the ambitious goal of returning the historic complex to public use. The comprehensive scheme attracted £4 million in funding from national and local sources, including significant contributions from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Cornwall Council. This diverse funding approach demonstrated the community's commitment to preserving their architectural heritage.
Specialist conservation practice Architectural Thread took a community-centered approach, exploring the relationship between The Buttermarket and local residents through extensive discussions with Redruth Revival, community groups, current market users, and building occupiers. The project successfully creates a space for gathering and sharing food, effectively reframing the role and culture of the market for the contemporary era.
Through careful conservation work, selective demolition, and the thoughtful introduction of a contemporary market hall, the project restored the site's architectural character and reinstated historic views. The design philosophy emphasized minimal intervention while maximizing community benefit. A new space was created through the construction of a timber-framed façade extending across the courtyard, clad in innovative shingles made from recycled glass.
The sustainable materials approach extended throughout the project, with recycled glass shingles complemented by bricks salvaged from a chimney at the historic Tresavean copper mine and granite columns rescued from a house in Penzance. This creative reuse of local materials reinforced the project's connection to the region's industrial and architectural heritage.
"Exemplifying a genuinely sustainable model for community-led regeneration while making a varied array of historic structures fit for a new future, the project's thoughtful, light-touch approach brings The Buttermarket back from the brink to regain its place at the heart of life in Redruth," stated the AJ editorial team. They emphasized that "retrofits don't need to be big and flashy to be award winners. They just need to be resilient and better both for their contexts and the communities which they serve."
Last year's Retrofit of the Year winner was Glasgow-based O'Donnell + Brown for their New Olympia House project, which transformed a former Salvation Army Citadel in Bridgeton into 280 square meters of commercial office space for £1.7 million. The 15-year-old AJ Retrofit Awards were rebranded as the AJ Retrofit & Reuse Awards in 2024, with the new title better reflecting contemporary discussions surrounding retrofit projects and introducing additional award categories.
All 100-plus practices shortlisted for this year's awards presented their schemes virtually to a distinguished panel of judges through brief five-minute presentations followed by up to 10 minutes of questions and answers. The 30-member jury included notable figures such as curator and consultant Vanessa Norwood, Max Fordham director of sustainability Hero Bennett, and Tyler Goodwin, founder and chief executive of Seaforth.
The winners across all 16 categories plus the three editorially chosen awards were announced following the AJ's Retrofit Live conference. The ceremony highlighted the growing importance of sustainable renovation and adaptive reuse in addressing contemporary architectural challenges while preserving cultural heritage and strengthening local communities.
