This Silver award has been given for Baker Stickland's StoSilent acoustic suspended ceilings at the iconic new Herbarium in Kew Gardens, whose completion coincides with the 250th Anniversary of the Royal Horticultural Society.

The judges said of our ceilings,
'To call this entry just a ceiling is to misrepresent a skilful piece of precision engineering. Technically extremely challenging, the finished article is a thing of true beauty'.

Designed by Edward Cullinan and Partners, the architect's vision of the StoSilent rafts under the radiused concrete soffit resolves the acoustic problems normally associated with this construction technique and the combined effect of the rafts floating under the curving roof slab with the curved aluminium is visually remarkable.

Baker Stickland worked closely with both main contractor Willmott Dixon, and architects Edward Cullinan and Partners, to design and engineer a special concealed grid system for the third floor curved raft ceilings, including the adjacent aluminium cladding panelling, floating perimeter detail and recessed lighting.

The sharpness of finishing of the Sto ceilings in this project particularly around light fittings and perimeter details, clearly demonstrates not only the versatility and effectiveness of Sto ceilings but also the quality of the installation carried out by Baker Stickland.