CARLISLE Cathedral has been awarded a National RIBA Architecture award for its landmark building project at the Fratry.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) recently announced the winners of the 2022 RIBA National Awards for architecture.

The Fratry Project has beaten other competitors to be awarded the national award, being recognised as one of the best new buildings in the UK.

The Very Revd Mark Boyling, Dean of Carlisle said: “From the many comments we receive, we know how much people appreciate what has been achieved.”

Earlier this year, The Fratry Project at Carlisle Cathedral was also a double winner at the RIBA Northwest Awards 2022, receiving both RIBA Northwest Award 2022 and RIBA Northwest Special Award for Sustainability.

The Fratry Projects architect Ingrid Petit, from Feilden Fowles, also won the RIBA Northwest Project Architect of the Year 2022, for her work on the project.

Over 10 years since its conception, work on the Grade-I listed Fratry area of the Cathedral was completed in June 2020.

The £3.4million project was made possible by a £1.9million grant from the heritage lottery fund and the rest was raised through fundraising by the Friends of Carlisle Cathedral, grant-making trusts, donations by members of the public and events at the cathedral.

A spokesperson from RIBA said: “The Fratry project articulates a journey from concept to occupation; creating an engaging piece of placemaking where community input has enabled the delivery of social value.

“The architects have undertaken an award-winning piece of discerning conservation, creating a new build café facility whilst restoring and re-purposing the existing fratry with community space.”

The aim of the Fratry project was to bring the Fratry building back to life, making it a cultural hub in the city centre with the addition of the pavilion cafe, as well as education, exhibition and event spaces in the Fratry and Undercroft.

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