Industry News
Faith Museum takes Britain's most beautiful building title
The Faith Museum in Bishop Auckland, has been awarded ‘Grand Winner’ in the Royal Fine Art Commission Trust’s 2024 Building Beauty Awards.
Designed by Níall McLaughlin, The Faith Museum opened to the public in October 2023 and is part of The Auckland Project’s collection of attractions, which have also been recognised for their architectural achievements by RIBA this year.
The national Building Beauty Awards celebrate new buildings, engineering feats and landscaping schemes which add beauty to the British Isles. The 2024 Building Beauty Awards were presented by His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester at a dinner in London recently.
Built with sandstone, the Faith Museum’s winning construction pays homage to Medieval Christian iconography. The judges felt that the use of materials will weather over time and fit seamlessly into the architectural designs of famed neoclassical and neo-Gothic English architect James Wyatt, who transformed the site into Auckland Palace in the late 18th century.
Judges also commended the authoritative yet refined power which the new building commands, introducing visitors to the grandeur of Auckland Palace. The Faith Museum stands proudly at the entrance to the Palace which was the home of Durham’s Prince Bishops for centuries and remains one of the best-preserved Bishop’s palaces in Europe.
This Christmas, visitors to The Faith Museum can see a magnificent 18th-century Neapolitan Nativity on display as part of a special exhibition. Standing at 11ft tall and 15t wide and containing over 421 individual pieces, the handmade nativity scene is the only one in the UK available for public viewing and is the new must-see attraction in County Durham.
Access to view the Neapolitan Nativity at The Faith Museum is included in Christmas at the Palace tickets, a brand-new experience at Auckland Palace for 2024’s yuletide season running until 31st December. Ticket prices for ‘Christmas at the Palace’ are £20 for adults, £12.50 for children and £52.50 for a family (either 2 adults, 2 children or 1 adult, 3 children), or free with an Unlimited Pass.