Gwent landmarks up for awards

1:00pm Saturday 22nd March 2008

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TWO buildings showing the changing face of Gwent are in line for top awards.

Newport City Footbridge and Blaenavon World Heritage Centre are included in the shortlist for this year's Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Awards.

The £3 million flagship centre in Blaenavon, based in the old St Peter's School site, opens at the end of this month.

In September 2006, meanwhile, hundreds queued to be the first to walk across the River Usk on the £5 million footbridge.

The first major arrival in the city's major regeneration plans, the 145 metre walkway used 850 tonnes of steel, taking four months to build.

Newport architect Jonthan Adams, who designed the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, said he would be "very surprised" if the two nominations failed to gain awards.

He said the heritage centre was a "high-quality" tourist attraction and a fitting reminder of the areaÕs industrial heritage.

The footbridge, meanwhile, is a "striking symbol of a city coming into the 21st century".

"It's a really impressive feat of engineering, designed to a high level of precision," said Mr Adams, who is judging this year's RIBA nominations in South East England.

On average, only 70 buildings across the UK achieve awards every year.

The winners will be announced on May 29.