Stirling Prize: Library of Birmingham loses out to Liverpool theatre

THE Library of Birmingham has failed in its bid to win one of the most prestigious awards in British architecture, the Stirling Prize.

The £186m library in Centenary Square was shortlisted for the best new building of the year award alongside five other buildings in the UK but lost out to the re-built Everyman Theatre in Liverpool.

This is despite coming out on top in an online public vote.

Winning the accolade would have brought the library to the attention of a wider public and could be expected to provide a significant boost to the city’s tourism efforts. 

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), which awards the prize, said the building played an important role within Centenary Square and was a bold addition to the city.

The library was designed by Dutch architects Mecanoo and was built for Birmingham City Council by Wolverhampton-based contractor Carillion.

The venue has already attracted more than a million visitors since its opening in September last year.

It had been nominated for the award alongside The London Aquatics Centre, Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre, the London School of Economics’ Saw Swee Hock Student Centre, The Shard and the Manchester School of Art.

The awards ceremony took place at RIBA’s headquarters in Portland Place, London last night.

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