Stirling Prize 2010

The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize, named after the great British architect Sir James Stirling (1926-1992), will be drawn from the 102 RIBA award winners announced earlier this year, and the panel of judges will be looking to award the cash prize of £20,000 for a winning building that RIBA describes as "the most significant for the evolution of architecture in the past year".

Gilbert McCarthy, Managing Director of Benchmark commented "The RIBA Stirling Prize is a celebration of inspirational design.  What better way to mark our recent launch than to become principal sponsors of this world renowned award, which reflects everything that Benchmark is about!"

The 2010 judging panel consists of architects Ruth Reed RIBA President, Edward Jones of Dixon Jones and Ivan Harbour of Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners, Broadcaster Mark Lawson, author and academic Lisa Jardine.  The prize will be presented at The Roundhouse, London on Saturday 2 October 2010 and broadcast live as part of a special edition of BBC TWO's The Culture Show.

Previous winners of the award have included; 2009 Maggie's Centre by Roger Stirk Harbour & Partners, 2008 Accordia by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios/Alison Brooks Architects/Macreanor Lavington, 2007 The Museum of Modern Literature by David Chipperfield Architects and 2006 Barajas Airport by Richard Rogers Partnership.

Tony Chapman, RIBA Head of Awards said "The RIBA would like to thank Benchmark for its support of the RIBA Stirling Prize.  Their principal sponsorship, alongside The Architects' Journal, will help us to judge and deliver the most important prize in British architecture."

Benchmark is the new architectural business from Kingspan which has been created to bring about change in design.  Its aim is to offer a new approach to the building envelope, so that specifiers can achieve their desired look backed by the assurance of guaranteed performance; a complete solution to the challenge of matching performance with aesthetics.