Controversial hospital in line for design award

Another 'problem' hospital built through the private finance initiative has been shortlisted for the annual prime minister's better public buildings award for the second year running.

Last year, in the inaugural year of the awards, the government's design watchdog, the commission for architecture and the built environment, raised eyebrows when it shortlisted the Cumberland infirmary in Carlisle for the prize.

The hospital, which was the first to be built under PFI, had been dogged with problems including overcrowding, overheating and collapsed ceilings.

Last year's winner was the Tate Modern building on London's South Bank.

This year one of the eight shortlisted projects is the new ?230m Norfolk and Norwich university hospital.

The project was opposed by local people because it is constructed on a greenfield site and involved replacing the former city centre hospital with executive housing.

The new facility has also angered patients and doctors because it only provides 953 beds compared with 1,207 in the old hospital.

Earlier this year a survey of 50 GPs in the area revealed frustration with the building. Just 8.5% of doctors said the number of beds at the hospital was enough, and 68% said problems at the hospital were more than just teething problems.

The project also appeared to confirm the fears of opponents of PFI when the contractors proposed to refinance the project and net ?70m from it by doing so.

The better public buildings awards recognise "excellence in design and construction" of publicly funded schemes.

The judges said the Norwich hospital was "designed and developed using the PFI as a procurement route but with a strong emphasis on effective use of design and technology. The design makes good use of natural light and contains airy volumes within the building."

In a statement Mr Blair said: "As the shortlist shows there are plenty of examples from around the country that demonstrate how good quality design principles can be successfully incorporated in a wide variety of publicly funded construction projects, from civil engineering schemes to hospitals, schools and public gardens."

He added: "It is essential that we design buildings and infrastructure of real civic quality."

The other shortlisted buildings
The City Learning Centre, Bristol
The Earth Centre, Doncaster
Gateshead Millennium Bridge
Memorial gardens, Peel Centre, Hendon
Juniper House, King's Lynn
Tamar Bridge, Plymouth
Persistence Works, Sheffield