Lindisfarne Gospels museum design scoops award

Matt Drury, a BA (Hons) Architecture graduate, has won the Northern Design Competition award for Architectural Design after being shortlisted from thousands of entries from universities and colleges across North England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The 22-year-old entered the competition with his final year degree project design for a museum on Lindisfarne to re-house the illuminated Latin manuscript of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, produced on the island in Northumberland during the late 7th or early 8th century.

His design entry was based upon remote sea retreats that would provide areas for contemplation and access for people to view the manuscripts.

Matt, originally from Middlesbrough, is currently working as an architectural assistant with Newcastle-based architects, Space Group. He said: “I was very surprised to find out that my design had won. There were a lot of entries to the competition and I was initially just happy to have been shortlisted into the final six.

“The remote sea retreats in my design provide a prominent marker in the landscape from land and sea, creating a constant in an area of variable tidal conditions.”

Established by Leeds Metropolitan University, the Northern Design Competition is now in its fifth year. It is open to university, college and sixth form students in the North of England, the Midlands, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and aims to showcase the talent and ability of students from these areas. An objective of the competition is also to foster the development of design industries in the north, so talented graduates do not feel they have to relocate to London.

Prize money of £12,000 was split across twelve categories: Architectural Design, Fashion Design, Film and Animation, Graphic Design, Illustration, Interactive Media, Photography, Product Design, the Young Northern Designer Award sponsored by Screen Yorkshire, the North’s Inspired Award, the Maurice Miller Design Champion Award for the overall competition winner, and the Thompson Real World Prize, awarded for the work most likely to change the world if it became a reality today.

Kelly Mackinnon, Senior Lecturer in Architecture in the School of the Built Environment, Northumbria University, said: “We’re over the moon that Matt’s work has been recognised by such an award. Matt’s imaginative design and considerable architectural talents have enabled him to succeed, despite fierce competition – a great start to his career, as well as adding to the numerous accolades our students have achieved.

“This competition attracts entrants from all northern universities and it’s a great way to put Northumbria University’s Architecture department on the map.”