The Hot Walls Studios in Portsmouth is up for a design award - and needs your vote

The artists’ space, in Broad Street, has made the shortlist of five sites in the running to win the Solent Quality Place Award, as well as the scheme's People's Choice award.

The Solent Quality Place Award, formerly the Solent Design Awards, was created by the Partnership for South Hampshire in 2010 to recognise places that raise the standards of urban design.

Val van der Hoven, the co-ordinator of the awards, said the prize gives ‘huge recognition’ to the award-winners.

She said: ‘It’s all about honouring well designed lived-in places.’

More than 20 applications from across the Solent area were whittled down by eight judges, who will go on to choose the winner of this year's award.

It will fall to the public to decide the recipient of the People’s Choice award.

Charlotte Webb, a project manager from Hampshire County Council who supports the awards, said the judges were impressed by the studio’s use of the historic Hot Walls site.

She said: ‘It’s a good all-rounder of an application – it ticked a lot of boxes.

‘The site features good use of a variety of materials, and it’s a good use of a historic site.’

The Hot Walls Studios, designed by PLC Architects, was opened after a £1.75m development in 2016.

It comprises a restaurant and 13 self-contained artist studios and workshops within the historic arches of the Grade I listed Point Battery.

Councillor Chris Attwell, of St Thomas ward, said residents see the studios as ‘an overwhelmingly positive' addition to the city.

He said: ‘It makes a great contribution to the area – hopefully it will win both awards.

‘We have a terrific amount of artistic talent in the city.

‘I’d encourage as many people as possible to vote.’

The Mary Rose Museum was the last Portsmouth-based winner of the People’s Choice award, in 2015.

Competition for this year's People’s Choice award includes the Cultural Quarter, in Southampton, the cafe of the Gilbert White Museum, in Selborne, and Knowle Lane, in Eastleigh.

Votes can be cast at solentqualityplaceawards.org.uk until Friday October 4.