A new register office of the Italian embassy in Washington USA is among the winners in the Architecture awards run in association with Marmotec, the Italian stone show being staged in Carrara 4-7 June.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony as part of the conference programme run in association with the exhibition run by Internazionale Marmi e Macchine Carrara.

The awards are now in their 19th year and each year the architectural competition is open to different parts of the world. This year\'s region was the USA, where, the Italians conclude from the entries in the competition, the architects still love the marble extracted from the Apuan Alps that rise up behind Carrara.

North America, with its high-profile customers who demand exceptional architecture, is important for Italian stone exports, although the judges said they found it difficult to choose a winner from such outstanding work.

In fact, they could not choose between two entries in the External Facings section and awarded a joint first prize to a new registry at the Italian Embassy in Washington and the Marylin Meditation Centre in Portland, Oregon.

The embassy building was designed by: Piero Sartogo Architetti of Rome and uses Rosa Asiago stone supplied by Pizzato e Colpo of Asiago in Italy worked by Technostone Srl. and Vezzano Ligure.

The Meditation Chapel was designed by: Thompson Vaivoda & Associates of Portland, Oregon, using Luna Pearl, Rosa Porrino, Black Absolute granite and Bianco Carrara marble supplied and worked by F lli Guarda, Paitone.

In interiors, the IDX Tower in Seattle and the UBS Tower in Chicago were honoured. The IDX Tower was designed by the Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership of Seattle using Rosa Zarci, Rosa Verona Classic, Arabescato Michelangelo and Grigio Carnico marble supplied and worked by Freda Srl. The UBS Tower was designed by Lohan Caprile Goettsch Architects of Chicago using Blue Orissa and Samba White granite and Calacatta Carrara, Grey Tapestry and Bianco Gioia marble supplied by Campolonghi Italia.

In landscaping, the exterior area of an office building at 55 Second Street in San Francisco took the honours. The architects were Heller Manus Architects of San Francisco. The stone used was Conquistador Dorato, Pannafragola and Impala Black granite with Yana limestone, worked and supplied by Campolonghi Italia.