THE East Quay, Watchet, arts venue has scooped three awards at this year’s Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) South West architectural awards.

It was judged ‘Building of the Year’, took a regional award, and won ‘client of the year’ for the social enterprise Onion Collective, which runs the centre.

The centre was designed by by Piers Taylor, of Invisible Studio, and Ellis Williams Architects, as a cultural venue, home to two contemporary art galleries, 11 artist studios, a paper mill, a geology workshop, print studio, restaurant, education space, and five accommodation pods.

It stands on the quayside in Watchet, beside the town’s marina and harbour.

RIBA has been celebrating outstanding work for more than 180 years and its awards and prizes are regarded internationally as a mark of excellence, recognising the best architecture, architects, research, and students.

East Quay won ‘Building of the Year’ from a shortlist of 23 across the Westcountry.

Onion Collective members celebrate winning three architectural awards for the East Quay, Watchet.
Onion Collective members celebrate winning three architectural awards for the East Quay, Watchet. ( )

Its design was intended to reflect a contemporary version of Watchet, with the heavy base signifying the town’s harbour wall and surrounding cliffs, and ‘characterful and idiosyncratic human sized’ buildings above reflecting the community’s eclectic and often unusual built environment.

Five accommodation pods, two of which stand on stilts above the building, have been created for ‘the adventurous traveller’.

Designed internally by architect-makers PEARCE+Fægen, each pod reflects Watchet in some way.

Visitors can take breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the East Quay Kitchen, an in-house restaurant which has Mediterranean and Middle Eastern inspired dishes.

East Quay also runs year-round events offering music, theatre performances, art workshops, and courses.

There is also a year-round education programme run from the ‘Creator Space’, which was designed with the help of children from local schools.

Onion Collective co-director Georgie Grant said: “We are so delighted to win these awards for East Quay, they are testament to the hard work of everybody involved.

“East Quay demonstrates how imagination and community collective thinking can lead to buildings that support the well-being of a place, its culture, and sense of identity.

“This type of built environment is so important for the future of our towns.

“We are so proud this has been recognised by RIBA.”

Piers Taylor said: “I am thrilled that East Quay has been recognised in the RIBA South West awards.

“These awards are the most important in the country, recognising architectural excellence.

“They are peer judged and the projects all visited by the awards jury.

“So, for East Quay to receive a regional award plus the ‘Building of the Year’ award is truly fantastic.

“Plus, to see the Onion Collective recognised by RIBA as client of the year is the highest validation of their extraordinary perseverance, tenacity, and vision.”