Three out of four of the region's top architectural awards have gone to landmark structures in Bristol.

The prestigious Royal Institute of British Architecture (RIBA) awards are being presented later today at a ceremony which is being held in Bristol.

And the city has won three out of four categories for the Wessex region, with prizes going to the House of Fraser department store in the Cabot Circus shopping complex, the Merchants' Academy at Withywood and the TQ2 bridge near Temple Meads, also known as Meads Reach.

The fourth prize has gone to the recently completed Apprentice Store in Bath.

The winners are being announced later today by Jon Watkins, the head of RIBA in the South West, at a ceremony at the Harvey Nichols department store in Quakers Friars.

Mr Atkins said: "The awards are given to projects which demonstrate the power and purpose of high quality design. This year's winners are perfect examples of the benefits a fantastic architect can bring to the built legacy of this region".

The Meads Reach bridge was built by Niall McLaughlin Architects and connects the train station to the new Ibis hotel and the emerging houses and flats in The Dings area of the city.

It was named after a competition run in the Post was won by reader Delia Crozier, from Knowle. The stainless steel structure cost £2.4 million to build and is 55 metres long, weighs 75 tonnes and stretches from the station car park to the new housing and offices being built in the area.

The bridge is also part of the national cycle path network, acting as an extension of the track to Bath which runs through the western part of the city.

Ingrid Bille, the regional chair of the judging panel, said: "The bridge is the result of intelligent engineering, very restrained and functional, beautiful and poetic."

The House of Fraser store, which greets motorists as they arrive in Bristol via the M32 and is the centrepiece of the £500 million Cabot Circus development, has also been hailed as a design success.

Designed by Stanton Williams Architects, the exterior of the building is clad in local Portland stone and has a sophisticated lighting scheme built into the facade, which has become something of a landmark at night.

Judge Loren Butt said: "The full-height window with double-height space filled with natural light creates a very pleasant ambience and provides excellent visibility and orientation. The seven-metre high ground floor, with views across and out of the city, and the light-filled atrium provide a great experience for shoppers inside."

The Merchants' Academy school was designed by architects Penoyre & Prasad. The school opened to pupils last September and has a central courtyard with all the school's departments built around it.

"The inspiring colour scheme throughout the building, internally and externally, distinguishes the different departments and provides good orientation, and the facades around the central courtyard provide a boost in different shades of strong blue," said Mrs Bille.

The Apprentice Store is the work of Threefold Architects and has seen a cluster of dilapidated barns transformed into a modern family home in a designated area of outstanding natural beauty.

The former mill complex was built in 1780 and is made up of four inter-connected buildings, two barns, one "furniture makers" workshop and one "farm" use building.

The mill was featured on TV showGrand Designs and mixes existing stone with a new timber structure and modern steel stairs.

"The client has taken on a structure close to collapse, and with great enthusiasm and attention to detail, created a stunning contemporary home with the most amazing views," said Mrs Bille.

The RIBA Awards have been held each year since 1966.