Now in its 19th year, the Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize is awarded on an annual basis for excellence in the architectural field. The aim of the prize is to reward the architects who create buildings which make a substantial contribution to architecture and its evolution. The regulations state that the triumphant architects must be RIBA members, but the winning building can be located anywhere in the European Union.

The Stirling Prize is sponsored by Almacantar and is widely recognised as being highly prestigious. It is generally considered the architectural equivalent to the Turner and Booker Prize for the visual arts and literature. The competition consists of choosing six short listed structures from a selection of buildings that have all received an award from RIBA.

This year saw the Stirling Prize go to Burntwood School, a large comprehensive girl’s school in Wandsworth, London. The project was undertaken by Alford Hall Monaghan Morris and involved refurbishing and revitalising a 1950s modernist secondary school campus, originally designed by the renowned architect Sir Leslie Martin.

The project involved the creation of six new faculty buildings and two large cultural buildings that were then linked to the original buildings. Each building is light and airy with high spaces at the end of each corridor to create well-framed views and allow natural light to flood in. The school combines conventional classrooms with contemporary and interactive open spaces, and large, colourful murals were included to cleverly mix modern art with informative signposting.

When referring to Burntwood School RIBA president Jane Duncan spoke of how “superb school design can be at the heart of raising our children’s educational enjoyment and achievement”. The aim of AHMM architects was to incorporate contemporary design into existing buildings while also integrating artwork, engineering and landscape. We believe these principles should be noted by every architect in London, so that we can continue to serve and benefit surrounding communities with our work.