A Lake District interior designer has won an international award for her work on a Cumbrian project.
The Edge is a new coastal activities centre in Whitehaven and Alison Tordoff, of Windermere-based Fidget UK Ltd won the 2025 Project of the Year at the Forbo Awards for her work on the flooring in the giant three-storey building.
The flooring was designed to look like the sandstone pebbles washed up onto the harbourside during high seas.
Forbo is a globally-operating Swiss-based flooring manufacturer.
The £5 million Edge was officially opened last week.
The project was overseen by Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners and the architect was Ian Grice of Northmill Associates. It has changing facilities, a cafe, public toilets, meeting spaces and a mezzanine area.
The top two floors contain en suite hotel-style accommodation.
From the early days of construction to the opening, it’s been the focus of wide-ranging debate, with some critics calling the exterior like something from the Star Wars movies.
Alison said: “I’m thrilled to be given this award. We knew from the outset that this would be a controversial project. All great design has the power to shock as well as inspire. We think this is a fantastic new addition to the town and the region, which has to date played second-fiddle to other Lake District areas.
“It’s what Oscar Wilde said. There’s only one thing worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about. We think the controversy will bring people to see what all the fuss is about – and we bet they love it!”
Alison has worked with leading hotels across the UK, including several award-winners in the Lakes, and recently had a submission in a competition for an unusual large-scale light installation on the canal sides in Amsterdam.
