CUMNOCK’S Eddie Balmer has been recognised for his contribution to the construction of the SSE Hydro.

The Ayrshire man tasked with overseeing the building of the iconic Glasgow venue was named as a winner at the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) Pride of Construction Awards last night. The Awards were held at Old Billingsgate in London and marked the 50th anniversary of CITB.

Eddie, who took home an 'I Built That’ award, said, “Being part of this project is the highlight of my 30-year-career in the construction industry.” The freelance construction manager was engaged by Lend Lease on this iconic construction project overseeing multi-trade operations to Front of House, which included high-level inclined fire-rated, acoustic, airtight plenum ceilings.

Phil Ford, CITB Strategic Partnership Director for Scotland, said, “We are pleased to recognise Eddie’s contribution to the Glasgow SSE Hydro and to the construction industry in Scotland. CITB is delighted to recognise him and his work on one of the country’s most iconic buildings.” The SSE Hydro, Scotland’s largest purpose-built public event arena, has a free spanning roof of 120 metres, large enough to encompass Glasgow’s Queen Street railway station and encloses a highly flexible amphitheatre for an audience of up to 13,000.

Construction of the venue cost £125 million. The new building joins the landmark Clyde Auditorium on the northern bank of the River Clyde within Glasgow’s former docks, and has been designed from the inside-out to ensure excellent views of the gymnastics during Glasgow’s 2014 Commonwealth Games.