A building project in Belfast has won a top award in a competition organised by Stone Federation Great Britain.

The Natural Stone Awards are held every two years and are described as “a celebration of the use of this attractive, traditional, yet vitally modern building material.”

This year the category for "New Build Modern Style Stone Cladding" was won by a project at the Merchant Hotel in Belfast, which now occupies premises originally built for a bank in the late 1860s.

The Federation's Chief Executive Jane Buxey explained: "Judges considered a number of factors, including sympathy of scale to the project's surroundings, an understanding of stone weathering, innovative use of stone and the quality of the work."

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There is a strong Irish connection throughout the project, namely Belfast architect John Burstead of Consarc Design Group in Belfast. The main contractor was Strong Construction of Bangor and the stone contractor McConnell and Sons of Kilkeel.

The stone used was Bath Basebed from the Bath Stone Group in Limpley Stoke and Armagh Limestone from WGMills and Son of Armagh.

In making their decision the judges commented on "a high degree of quality control in the manufacture, construction and finish of the stonework".

They also praised the effective mix of Bathstone for the majority of the masonry that appropriately sits on a dark Antrim base course. They observed that it compared well to some of its immediate neighbours, "it is more in scale with its surroundings, and sits well on its urban footprint.

"A high degree of quality control has existed in the manufacture of all the individual stone panels, and the finish of each is perfect in every respect. Matching the high degree of quality and accuracy achieved in the cutting yard, similar controls have been effectively extended to oversee site delivery and storage, and the building process.

"The Bathstone is already taking up its matured honey coloured hue and will continue to do so to increasingly and effectively compliment the dark base course."