The Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize is a British prize for excellence in architecture. It is named after the architect James Stirling, organised and awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The RIBA 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. Stirling Prize laureates receive a stipend of GB£20,000. 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 televised by Channel 4 and the prize is sponsored by the Architects Journal. Six short-listed buildings 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 RIBA 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. For years prior to 1996, the award was known as the “Building of the Year Award”.
