The annual  Awards are designed to recognise and reward conservation, restoration and good design of new-build together with encouraging the use of traditional skills and crafts in the region.

On awarding Towner the judges said, "This is an ambitious, strong community project whose modernistic form complements the adjoining Congress Theatre. The considered use of the limited inside space provides maximum exposure for a permanent art collection as well as temporary international exhibits and storage facilities."

Towner is a major new public building in a prime location in Devonshire Park, Eastbourne, on England's south coast.

Sited next to the Grade II* listed Congress Theatre, the new building brings a twenty-first century addition to Devonshire Park and strengthen its position as Eastbourne's cultural quarter.  The £8.6 million building provides a new home for the highly regarded and growing local and international Towner Art Collection, as well as conference exhibition space, community activity rooms, an acclaimed outreach programme, retail facilities and a cafe complete with views of the South Downs.

Towner also won an 2010 RIBA Award, one of four won by the practice this year.