Carbuncle Cup 2017 winner: London's Nova building crowned UK's ugliest new structure

Judges described the building as a 'hideous mess'

(BD/Carbuncle Cup)

A jaunty red office block in central London described as a “hideous mess” has been named the ugliest building in the UK.

The Nova Victoria, which is located near Buckingham Palace, was announced as the winner of Building Design magazine’s annual Carbuncle Cup, which is widely regarded as the ultimate snub in the architecture industry.

The award was given to PLP Architecture for its design of the office section of the development which sits on Victoria Street, Bressenden Place, and Buckingham Palace Road. It is combined with residential buildings by the practice Benson & Forsyth, which escaped the dubious accolade.

While the developer Land Securities described it as “distinct” and “architecturally daring”, according to Business Design, the judges labelled the building as “crass” and a “hideous mess”.

Below: Inside Nova Victoria before it was completed

Catherine Croft, judge and director of the Twentieth Century Society which campaigns for architecture built after 1914, told the magazine: “Nova should have been good as it’s a prestige site. It makes me want to cringe physically. It’s a crass assault on all your senses from the moment you leave the Tube station.”

Fellow Judge David Rudlin, chair of the architecture nonprofit Academy of Urbanism, commented that the triangular design is inefficient and that the building’s spire is what clinched its carbuncle status for him.

Other buildings to make the shortlist included Preston Railway Station’s new entrance described as “hideous”, and the bright yellow Greetham Street Student Halls in Portsmouth which prompted its nominator to ask if the architects were colour blind “or wanted to blind others”.

Previous winners include the Lincoln Plaza in the Isle of Dogs, London; and the so-called "Walkie Talkie" building in the City of London.

Architecture firms who have escaped the Carbuncle Cup can now breathe a sigh of relief and await the announcement of the RIBA Sterling Prize 2017, which is among the most prestigious awards in the industry.