Brent Civic Centre, Wembley

Brent Civic Centre, Wembley
Hopkins Architects for the London Borough of Brent
Contract c. £85m. GIA 40,000 m²

For a council uniting the functions and staff from 14 buildings, Hopkins has produced a civic castle of distinct grandeur, with generous public spaces leaning towards the informal. In the old civic-pride manner, the building includes public facilities, while the council chamber has a sense of dignity. The judges noted that the building is highly energy-efficient, making good use of natural light and ventilation, and shows Hopkins’ typical ‘truth to materials’. It’s come from a design-build set-up, with Hopkins novated to the contractor, Skanska.