TRIBUTES have been paid to an eminent North-East architect who died without learning his practice had won a prestigious award for one of his last projects.

Tony Burns, 74, whose practice, Burns Architects, Castle Eden Studios, Castle Eden, County Durham, won a 2011 Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) Award for the restoration of the Apollo Pavilion, in Peterlee. Paying tribute, his son David Burns said: "Last Wednesday the practice won a prestigious award from RIBA, but he never knew about it. He died on Friday night.

"We were there for it and we had the award ready to show him, but we couldn't. It was very poignant."

Mr Burns, who designed the Durham Light Infantry Museum and Art Gallery, in Durham City, won 30 design awards, commendations and competitions during a career spanning 46 years.

Born in Billingham, Teesside, he was educated at the School of Architecture at King's College, Newcastle University.

He later worked in the architect's department of the Peterlee Development Corporation, when housing layouts were designed for the town's Chapel Hill.

Mr Burns, who died after an illness, is survived by wife Maureen, children David, Jane, Julia and Jenny and seven grandchildren.

His funeral service will be at St James' Church, Castle Eden, at 2pm today(Friday, May 27).

* To read a full report, see The Northern Echo today.