Sterling Character

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Later today, judges will announce the winner of this year’s prestigious Riba Stirling Prize, which celebrates the best new buildings and architectural contributions made in the UK and Ireland. Highlighted projects receive a Royal Institute of British Architects award and are long listed ???this year, 53 buildings were awarded ??before being whittled down to six shortlisted buildings.

From shortlisted works to Irish talent on the judging panel, there’s plenty of homegrown talent in the mix this year. To start, Angela Brady, RIBA’s president, is a London-based Irish woman. Meanwhile, Dublin based firm Heneghan Pang have been shortlisted for their Giants Causeway Visitor Centre?in Antrim. They created a sleek building that merges with the landscape. Dublin-based Grafton Architects also made the shortlist with their impressive University of Limerick Medical School. Niall McLoughlin Architects were nominated for their spectacular Bishop Edward King Chapel, in Oxfordshire, and, though they are London-based, the firm was initially established in 1991 by an Irish man. Finally, Shelia O’Donnell of O’Donnell + Tuomey Architects is one of the judges. Her firm has been nominated for the award several times. O’Donnell was part of Group 91 Architects who redesigned much of Temple Bar in the early 90s.