Why judges in London singled out Penzance’s Pixel building

A rough stone base, a curved shell of pale panels on top, and a building full of people making things. Pixel has changed the look of the square in Penzance town centre since it opened, and now a national judging panel has taken notice too.

Pixel has become the first project to win the national Judges’ Choice Award 2026 from the British Council for Offices (BCO). It was recognised for revitalising Penzance town centre and supporting Cornwall’s creative community. The national awards were held at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House hotel on London’s Park Lane on Tuesday 6 October.

An award outside the usual categories

The Judges’ Choice sits apart from the BCO’s established award categories. It gives the national judging panel the chance to recognise a project that has made an exceptional impression beyond the scope of those categories.

The judges described Pixel as a “transformative, design-led response to high street decline, creating a landmark creative hub that blends innovation with heritage”. They also pointed to “how corporate investment in close partnership with the local council can revive communities, champion sustainability and nurture business ecosystems”.

For the people behind it, the win backs up the idea at the centre of the design. That a building can help shape a better future for a town by drawing on its history and creative spirit.

Who works inside Pixel

Pixel opened in January 2025. Since then it has brought new activity into the town centre, supported local jobs and strengthened Penzance’s creative community, according to the team behind the award entry.

The building is home to a mixed community of creative businesses. Ceramicists, painters, content designers, filmmakers, musicians, printmakers and animators all work there.

How it came about

Pixel was commissioned and funded by Cornwall Council as part of a high street regeneration project. It was delivered through the Penzance Creative Cluster project, with funding from HM Government, Cornwall Council and the European Regional Development Fund.

Architects Stride Treglown designed the building, with Kier as main contractor. It is run by Forward Space, a specialist workspace operator founded by Gavin Eddy, which has buildings across the south west, including Foundry in Camborne.

Gavin said: “Pixel is a great example of an ambitious council project that, with a visionary partner, has delivered a huge success story for Cornwall.”