Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index

Stirling Prize

The Stirling Prize is a British annual prize for architecture, named after the architect James Stirling, and organised by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The prize money is £20,000.

The Stirling Prize is awarded to "the architects of the building which has made the greatest contribution to British architecture in the past year". The architects must be RIBA members, but the building can be anywhere in the European Union.

The award was founded in 1996, and is considered to be the most prestigious architecture award in the United Kingdom. It is publicised as the architectural equivalent of the Booker Prize and Turner Prize. The presentation ceremony is currently televised by Channel 4, and the prize is sponsored by the Architects' Journal.

A small selection of short-listed buildings (currently six) are chosen from a long-list of buildings that have received a RIBA Award. These awards are given to buildings showing "high architectural standards and substantial contribution to the local environment". In 2003, 70 such buildings received RIBA Awards and so made the long-list.

In addition to the Stirling Prize, seven other awards are given to buildings on the long-list. In 2003 they consisted of the Stephen Lawrence Prize, the RIBA Client of the Year, the RIBA Journal Sustainability Award, the Crown Estate Conservation Award, The Architects’ Journal First Building Award, and the ADAPT Trust Access Award.

List of winners and short-listed entries