A Sydney Anglican building project has won a major architectural prize.

Silvester Fuller, the designers of the new auditorium at Dapto Anglican Church have been awarded the Blacket Prize for Regional Architecture.

The prize is named after the 19th century architect Edmund Blacket who designed Sydney University, St Andrew's Cathedral and a host of other Anglican buildings.

The jury of the Australian Institute of Architects NSW Architecture Awards said Silvester Fuller’s ‘contemporary, confident, bare and unexpected’ architecture presented an ‘uncompromising approach that has been embraced by this regional community’.

The rector of Dapto, the Rev Stephen Semenchuk described the prize as exciting. "The building won a prize in the public space category as well, and one of architects was the emerging architect of the year. We had already appeared on the cover of the Architecture Review Asia Pacific."

Despite the accolades, Mr Semenchuk said the functionality of the building was the real highlight.

"It has aided our ministry in many ways. The foyer and public spaces (incuding the cafe) see a steady array of people meeting and gathering. It provides a great way for us to"slow people down" who are visiting or using our preschool and programs." he said.

Photo: the interior of the auditorium

"The auditorium has provided room to grow and average Sunday attendance has increased 20% since September. The spaces work and perform in the way we envisaged. It had created great interest in the community and it is fast becoming a significant community hub." Mr Semunchuk said.