The London Maggie’s Centre was awarded the Stirling Prize, for RIBA Building of the Year in a ceremony at Billingsgate Market, London, on Saturday 17 October.

The judging panel was chaired by John Tuomey, and made up of: John Sorrell former head of CABE; designer Thomas Heatherwick and architects Benedetta Tagliabue and Stephen Bates. The judges stated:  “Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners has produced a timeless work of architecture that not only distils the intentions of this brief but expresses in built form compassion, sensitivity and a deep sense of our common humanity.”

The prize was received by Richard Rogers and Will Wimshurst, accompanied by Laura Lee (Chief Executive, Maggie’s), Charles Jencks (Maggie’s husband) and Dan Pearson (Director of Dan Pearson Studio, Landscape Consultants).

Richard Rogers said “I would like to thank… all the team that has made this possible, the engineers, the landscape architects, my own team, the client especially. It was a wonderful project, and… being able to walk (to it) from the office was a great advantage. The one person missing, of course, is Maggie herself…  it is she that has inspired all these (Maggie’s) projects and she is the person that certainly I am thinking of.”

The Client of the Year Award was awarded as a joint prize to all those six projects shortlisted, including Laura Lee, recognising their work as remarkable clients.

This is the second time that the practice has won the Stirling Prize. RSHP was awarded the Prize in 2006 for its design of Terminal 4, Madrid Barajas Airport.

For more information
http://www.architecture.com/NewsAndPress/News/AwardsNews/News/2009/MaggiesCentreWinsSitrlingPrize2009.aspx
http://www.channel4.com/4homes/architecture/riba-stirling-prize/