Chester Cathedral has received a prestigious regional award for the reordering of the Cathedral’s west end which has opened up the building to the city it serves.
Chester Cathedral Wins Design Award for its Reordering Project
Chester Cathedral was awarded the Chester Cathedral Community Award at the Cheshire West Design Awards that celebrate the region’s best places and building projects completed over the last four years across five categories: commercial, community, public realm, residential and sustainable design and construction.
The Dean of Chester, the Very Revd Dr Tim Stratford said,
‘The west entrance ordering of Chester Cathedral opens one of the UK’s great cathedral spaces to the city.
‘This allows the Cathedral’s great oak west doors to be opened whereas previously the Cathedral appeared closed, so that now, the Cathedral appears welcoming to those on Town Hall Square.’
At the centre of the west entrance project is the new glazed Pilgrim Porch designed by artist and sculptor, Stephen Broadbent with a shell motif inspiring the design. It sits on a new stone plinth and step, built into and onto the existing steps, with new handrails guiding visitors down to the Nave floor.
The route leads around the Font – a seventeenth century black limestone monument repositioned as a key element of the reordering on a new stone plinth, which reflects the Cathedral’s height in its water bowl.
The Chair of Judges, Peter Hadfield said,
“The aim of these awards is to make Cheshire West and Chester a better place to live, work and visit by encouraging outstanding design and projects, and gaining national recognition for this.”
The reordering of Chester Cathedral’s welcoming and flexible west entrance was shortlisted for the National Churches Trust Church Architecture Awards 2025 earlier this year.
The reordering project was designed by Donald Insall Associates and Broadbent Studio, contractor Grosvenor Construction with Chester Cathedral Works Department.
Chester Cathedral also received a commendation within the Sustainable design and construction category for its solar panel installation, which was installed in 2021. The array was designed by Andrew Fletcher and Tony Barton, contractor Carbon Control.
