THE Weston Library, a windmill and a spaceship-like building designed by Zaha Hadid were among the winners of the Oxford Preservation Trust awards this year.

The city heritage group holds the competition every year to recognise the best new buildings and conservation schemes in the area, as well as environmental projects.

The top winners are given plaques to display by the trust, with others given certificates and commendations.

Trust director Debbie Dance said: “It’s our opportunity to recognise the extraordinary contribution that people are making to the environment of Oxford.”

Conservation awards have been given to the Weston Library in Broad Street, Balliol College for work in Magdalen Street East, New College and the Great Haseley Windmill.

Oxford University’s Weston Library, formerly the New Bodleian, reopened in March after undergoing an £80m transformation that saw its doors open to the public for the first time.

The Grade II-listed building now offers a cafe, two exhibition galleries and a lecture theatre on its ground floor, where visitors can look up to see a glass-sided floating stack of books.

Its redesign was led by Jim Eyre, of Wilkinson Eyre Architects.

Another star of the awards was the Great Haseley Windmill, lovingly restored by the Great Haseley Windmill Trust over the last decade.

Mrs Dance added: “You have got to love it, because of the way it now sits on the landscape.

“You can see it clearly when you drive south of Oxford and it looks fantastic.”

New buildings that were given awards include the new East Range at Mansfield College, as well as the building designed by world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid for St Antony’s College in Woodstock Road.

The Investcorp Building – which has come as a major boost to Oxford University’s Middle East Centre – was one of the most visited sites at this year’s Oxford Open Doors, also run by the preservation trust, when the public are given the opportunity to visit places normally kept private.

Middle East Centre director Dr Eugene Rogan said staff were “over the moon” about the award.

He added: “It is a seal of approval from the city and confirms what we had always hoped; which is that this building can become a well-loved landmark in the area.”

There were also certificates for environmental projects, such as the group which maintains St Sepulchre’s Cemetery in Jericho, the Wharf Stream Way scheme at Eynsham and Oxfordshire Play Association.

It is the 38th year of the awards, which are sponsored by Kemp & Kemp and Critchleys.

Professor Malcolm Airs, chairman of the awards panel, said: “The quality and range of this year’s entries was stronger than ever.

“It is always a pleasure to visit and see work that is taking place across the city.”