A TEAM of London architects has won the competition to design a visitor centre for a nationally important landscape in Sedgefield.

Hoger Hare Architects was selected from a shortlist of six practices after two days of assessments and presentations.

A total of 73 architectural practices from around the country entered the competition organised by RIBA, the Royal Institute of British Architects, to design the centre for the Grade II*-listed landscape at Hardwick Park, Sedgefield.

Views of local people on the shortlisted entries were fed into the assessment process.

The proposed timber and glass pavilion is part of Durham County Council's plans, with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, to restore the park to its 18th Century glory.

Now the architects will need to work closely with the county council to produce a sufficiently detailed design to make a planning application and a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund by the end of February.

Keith Williams, architect and chairman of the judges, said: "This scheme was the unanimous choice of the judging panel. It is a rich and beautifully conceived crystalline pavilion of very high order which, when complete, will act as a most elegant and accessible gateway to the restored park."

Councillor Ken Manton, county council leader, said the competition aimed to ensure the most was made of the opportunity to design the building. He said: "It's the kind of opportunity that does not come along every day and has resulted in an exciting and innovative design that should help make a visit to the park all the more magical.

"We are looking for a high- quality, contemporary building, which will be an essential component of our ambitious programme to restore the park to its former Georgian glory. For some visitors it will act merely as an entry point, but others will want it to provide information and interpretation as well as a focus for the start and end of a visit."

The building will also feature an education room, refreshment and retail outlets, space for staff working on the site and storage for machinery used in managing the park