The St James Market development is part of The Crown Estate’s 10-year, £500million renovation of its properties in this part of London. The development by architect Make has transformed it into a world-class destination.

And on 15 May it gained a RIBA London Award and will now go forward for a RIBA National Award and could be short-listed for the Stirling Prize in October.

Main contractor was Balfour Beatty, the stone contractors were Techrete / GIG Fassenden. Albion Stone supplied more than 4,000m2 of Fancy Beach Whitbed for the stone-on-precast panels, starting with a coarse finish on lower levels and working up to a fine finish at higher levels. Grove Whitbed was used for the plinths, similar to the Stock Exchange at Paternoster Square.

The second block, adjacent to Haymarket, is open jointed. It has a curved Portland Stone and glass wall wrapped around the building. It uses 169m3 of Albion’s Jordans Whitbed on a unitized façade with horizontal aluminium fins.

Make’s brief was to transform the poor-quality environment at St James’s, which the RIBA judges considered it had done spectacularly with this office and retail development.