2006 RIBA Stirling Prize

The 2006 RIBA Stirling Prize was awarded on October 14. The RIBA Stirling Prize (named after architect Sir James Stirling) is a £20,000 cash prize awarded by RIBA in conjunction with The Architects' Journal. It is awarded to the architect whose building most impacts the evolution of architecture in the past year.

There were six projects that were shortlisted: the Brick House by Caruso St John Architects, the Evelina Children's Hospital by Hopkins Architects, the Idea Store in Tower Hamlets by Adjaye/Associates, the National Welsh Assembly by Richard Rogers, the New Area Terminal at Barajas Airport in Madrid, again by Richard Rogers, and the Phaeno Science Centre in Wolfsburg by Zaha Hadid.

Richard Rogers won the prize for the New Area Terminal. Personally I think the National Welsh Assembly is a much nicer project, as is Zaha Hadid's Science Center.


Richard Rogers' National Welsh Assembly. Photo by Richard Bryant/Arcaid. The topography of the ceiling is really great.


Zaha Hadid's Phaeno Science Center. Photo by Helene Binet. The way Zaha Hadid manipulates perspective makes the building feel like it's in motion.