Acton cinema wins praise

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Amanda Mason from ActOne Cinema
© Tom Doran

The new ActOne cinema received a “highly commended” certificate at the Society’s award evening on 25 October. Our judges were impressed by the energy and commitment of a large group of volunteers who raised funds for and took part in the restoration of the attractive Grade ll listed Victorian library on Acton High Street. The new cinema, cafe and community space were designed by Wren Architecture and Design. The picture shows Amanda Mason receiving the certificate.

A total of 8 projects had been shortlisted for the Society’s main award: 2 houses, some flats, 3 stations, a cinema and a mosque. Although the standard was high none was felt to be worthy of the actual award. Three Crossrail stations (Acton Mainline, Ealing Broadway and West Ealing) were Commended, as was The Tree House in West Ealing. Full details and pictures of all the shortlisted buildings are shown on our Awards page.

The plaques were presented by our speaker Jane Mossman Better Futures+ Project Manager from West London Business. Better Futures+ is funded by the Greater London Authority and supports London’s small and medium organisations to commit to Net Zero by 2030. 40 Ealing SMEs are signed up for the programme which includes practical guidance on reducing their carbon footprint, free access to carbon management tools, peer learning and networking, and bespoke consultancy to help businesses make the first steps towards sustainable business models. Following her talk there was a lively discussion about solar panels, power shortages, the location of data centres and other issues covered in her talk.

We are very grateful to Jane, to our judges who this year were: Gavin Leonard, Ealing’s former Borough architect, Ania Lill of Lill Architects, and Ellie Carter, a student of architecture, and to all who submitted entries for the award this year. A list of award winners from 1989-2021 may be seen on our Awards Archive pages.