Chapman Taylor’s Rekha Barry-Houston named runner-up in Blunden Public Art Prize 2025
We are proud to share that Rekha Barry-Houston, Architect at Chapman Taylor, has been named runner-up in this year’s Blunden Prize, a prestigious public art competition organised by affordable housing provider Stonewater.
Rekha will receive a £10,000 commission to create a new piece of public art for one of Stonewater’s housing schemes, contributing to the organisation’s mission of fostering strong communities and a distinctive sense of place through art.
With over 50 submissions, six were shortlisted and invited to interview. The 2025 Blunden Prize winner was London-based artist Amy Jackson, with Alec Saunders and Rekha Barry-Houston selected as runners-up.
Rekha's art concept, entitled 'Portal', is a series of sculptural arches inspired by Wellingborough’s railway and ironworks heritage. Using reinforced pigmented concrete with embedded industrial waste, the work transforms byproducts of local manufacture into joyful, durable public art. Each arch is polished and sealed to create vibrant, marble-like surfaces that celebrate colour and texture while minimising virgin material use. Positioned as gateways into the park, the arches invite interaction, seating, planting, and biodiversity opportunities such as bug hotels. The community would participate in the making of the work alongside Rekha.
The gates form an entry into either side of the public park on the site. Gates and arches are universally recognisable forms: they frame views, mark thresholds, and can act as a symbol of celebration, think of the Arc D’Triomphe. Playful to walk through, gather under, or sit beside, they were intended to create a moment of joy when entering the public realm, while using a recognisable façade motif of Wellingborough’s shared heritage.
Rekha commented, “I am delighted to be recognised by the Blunden Public Art Prize. In both my architecture and art practice, I am particularly interested in how architecture, art and placemaking intersect. The Blunden Prize provides an opportunity for public art that is accessible and shaped by communities in their public spaces. I look forward to collaborating closely with residents on this work, something that they can also take ownership of and be proud of."