WORCESTER’S new super-library has scooped a prestigious international award – even though it has not yet been built.

Construction work on the £60 million library and history centre, thought to be one of the first of its kind in Europe, might have only just got under way but it has already claimed the title of Bentley Be Inspired Innovation in Generative Design for 2009.

It is being built on land between The Butts and the railway viaduct, adjacent to the new university campus on the site of the Worcester Royal Infirmary.

Generative design uses new technology to produce different ways of combating construction issues and judges of the competition felt the centre demonstrated this better than the other finalists which came from the Ukraine and India.

Iain Paul, Worcester-shire County Council’s design manager for strategic projects, said: “This award demonstrates the level of technical and design creativity which has been applied to translating our vision for the library and history centre into an exciting building which will be an enduring legacy for the citizens of Worcestershire.”

Anne Hannaford, director of information and learning services at the University of Worcester, said: “The library and history centre will be a landmark feature of Worcester which will serve the people of the city, the county and members of the university alike, and aims to attract visitors from across the globe.

“We are delighted that the facility has won this prestigious award before it’s even built.”

The prize was collected by representatives of the library and history project’s architects, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios.

Richard Priest, the architect’s architectural software engineer, said: “It’s great to get an award for something that’s not quite so visible as a finished building.

“We’re really pushing the limits of the software, looking for new ways of adapting it to improve design ideas.”

The library and history centre is a joint project between Worcestershire County Council and the University of Worcester, with support from Worcester City Council and regional development agency Advantage West Midlands.

The super-library, being built through a private finance initiative, will include a local history centre and archive, a café, performance space, meeting rooms and the Worcester-shire Hub. An accompanying commercial development is also in the pipeline.

Work to construct the main centre building is expected to start in December with a hoped for overall completion date of early 2012.