A 5-star boutique hotel has won the top award at the Dunedin Heritage Awards.
The annual ceremony was held last night at Toitu Otago Settlers Museum to recognise the best in heritage projects across the city.
The overall prize went to Chris and Nick James, owners of the 108-year-old, category 2-listed building at 77 Stuart St in Dunedin, who received the outstanding reuse award.
The top three floors of the building, originally known as the John Chambers & Son building, have recently been converted into 19 units of high-quality accommodation, now operating as the Chamberson Hotel.
Dunedin City Council heritage adviser Andrea Farminer said the award recognised their ''sympathetic heritage redevelopment'' of the building.
The redevelopment included the hotel and new office space, while leaving room for the Cycle World retail outlet on the ground floor.
The owners wanted to retain the industrial heritage character of the building, re-using existing materials and finishes including the original and detailed corner frontage windows, Dr Farminer said.
''The judges felt that the combination of high quality and well-thought-out interior plan and finishes, combined with the retention of many original features and a sense of the building's past, were key in their decision for the award.''
The development of character hotel accommodation in the heart of the city was also seen as ''leading the way in responding to the city's needs for flexible visitor accommodation, whilst reflecting the desire for sensitive re-use of such an important city building'', she said.
Other award winners were. -
Heritage interiors: No8 Stafford St, Ross and Glendining Building, by Kate and Jason Lindsey; earthquake strengthening: 43 Crawford St, former John Colours Building, by Lawrie Forbes; heritage streetscape: 7 Crawford St, Victoria Chambers, by Ted Daniels; pouhere taonga conservation: Dunedin Prison, 2 Castle St, by Dunedin Prison Charitable Trust; Pam Jordan services to heritage: Guy Williams; David Cox Memorial: Married Quarters, Quarantine Island.
