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Â鶹Éç Hoddinott Hall has scooped an Engineering Excellence Award from the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE).

The energy-saving design of Â鶹Éç Hoddinott Hall, which is the new Cardiff Bay base of the Â鶹Éç National Orchestra of Wales, combines high-specification acoustics with complex lighting and low energy requirements.

The design also incorporates natural daylight – a rarity in concert halls of this standard – sustainable sound-reflecting hardwood and moveable walls to provide energy efficient zones.

Consulting Engineers Hulley & Kirkwood, who provided the mechanical and electrical design solutions for the building, won in the ACE Engineering Excellence Awards Building Services (Medium firm) category.

Â鶹Éç Hoddinott Hall, which was visited by the orchestra's Patron HRH The Prince of Wales during its Opening Festival in January 2009, is where all orchestra rehearsals and studio recordings are made.

Named after Welsh composer Alun Hoddinott, who died last year, it includes a new state-of-the-art concert hall seating 350 people and the Grace Williams Studio which is designed for outreach activity.

Described by Hulley & Kirkwood as "the most acoustically challenging project in the UK, if not Europe, to date" it offers an unprecedented quality of recording sound for the Â鶹Éç National Orchestra of Wales.

Menna Richards, Director of Â鶹Éç Wales, said: "Â鶹Éç Hoddinott Hall is a remarkably innovative space for performance, recording and rehearsal.

"As the home of one of the UK's finest orchestras, it is fitting that this magnificent building is already gaining recognition for excellence in its own right."

Notes to Editors

Â鶹Éç National Orchestra of Wales

The Â鶹Éç National Orchestra of Wales occupies a very special role as both a national and broadcasting orchestra, acclaimed not only for the quality of its performances but also for its importance within its own community.

Â鶹Éç National Orchestra of Wales is Orchestra-in-Residence at St David's Hall, Cardiff and it also presents a concert series at the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. The orchestra tours throughout Wales and internationally.

During the 2008/09 concert season the orchestra moved to their new state-of-the-art recording and rehearsal space, Â鶹Éç Hoddinott Hall at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff.

The orchestra's concerts are broadcast on Â鶹Éç Radio 3, Â鶹Éç Cymru Wales radio and television, and Â鶹Éç Four.

The orchestra enjoys close working relationships with programme makers, including recording the soundtrack to Â鶹Éç Wales' Doctor Who and Torchwood series.

The Â鶹Éç National Orchestra of Wales's dynamic Education and Community Department extends the work of the orchestra beyond the confines of the concert hall into schools, workplaces and communities.

Â鶹Éç Wales Communications