JW3 Scoops Award for Design and Business
JW3, a new community centre for London’s Jewish population, was awarded the ‘Good Design is Good Business Award’ it was announced yesterday.
The awards were launched in 1997 to recognise the benefits of a thoughtful, well-executed workplace or business environment. JW3 was recognised along with eight other projects overall, with judges praising each as a successful collaboration between the client and design team—one that never loses sight of the business plan, the employee and end user experience.
LDS in particular were recognised for advising against the emphasis on sports often found in Jewish Community Centres, which would have high ongoing costs and niche appeal. “We didn’t want to make a sweaty box for boys,” says project director Alex Lifschutz. Instead, JW3 appeals to the whole community, with a cinema, restaurant, child-care centre, and 268-seat auditorium, as well as multipurpose rooms that support a wide variety of social, educational, and recreational activities. The building is “a machine for making culture” as well as a place to consume it, says Lifschutz.
