ONE of Worcester’s newest and most eye-catching buildings has won a prestigious national award.

The University of Worcester Arena in Hylton Road was named winner of the Buildings that Inspire category in the Guardian University Awards on Wednesday, March 18.

The arena fought off competition from Bath Spa University and the University of Essex to win the award, which recognises projects that have “positively enhanced the student and/or staff experience on campus, whether through a new build or a redevelopment”.

Head of the university’s institute of sport and exercise science Mick Donovan said he and his colleagues were “delighted” by the accolade.

“Winning this award is a further validation of the incredible success that the University Arena has enjoyed since opening in 2013,” he said.

“The vision behind the facility was to create a fully inclusive arena of which Worcester could be proud, to break down barriers to sport participation and to produce an environment which could inspire students, members of the public and elite athletes to thrive.”

The arena – home to the increasingly popular Worcester Wolves basketball team – is the UK’s first indoor sporting venue designed specifically to meet the needs of wheelchair-bound athletes and has hosted numerous international and national sporting fixtures.

Later this year it will host the wheelchair basketball European Championships.

This is the second time the university has won acclaim in the Guardian awards in recent years – in 2013 The Hive won a Contribution to the Local Community award.