In this issue you can find all the winners of the AJ Retrofit Awards 2023, which showcase the design expertise behind the renewal of existing buildings. From the restoration of a Category A-listed museum to the low-cost adaptation of a former vehicle testing facility in north London, these truly exciting projects demonstrate how a connection with the past adds another dimension to a ‘new’ building.
The four building studies also found in this month’s AJ are united by the theme of food. A dining hall on the Isle of Mull has been forged from a ruined stone byre by fardaa; we revisit ready-meal manufacturer Charlie Bigham’s factory in Somerset, designed by Feilden Fowles; Danish practice pihlmann architects has created a brewery visitor experience in a former slaughterhouse in Copenhagen; and we see how Atelier Téqui Architectes pioneered prefabricated timber frame construction at an industrial scale at a food research centre in northern France.
In news, we take an in-depth look at the proposed changes to architectural education and ask whether they will ‘fix’ the profession, and we profile Yasmeen Lari, the Pakistani architect who swapped rich corporate clients for community-driven architecture.
Rounding out the issue are opinion columns by the Secret Architect, David Grandorge and The Coach; a competitions round-up; Hellman; and the sketches of Anna Gibb.
