Scottish Parliament

The new Scottish Parliament is among the short-listed buildings for a top architecture award, it was announced today. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) have placed the parliament - the £431 million building co-designed by the architect firms Enric Miralles Benedetta Tagliabue (EMBT) in Barcelona, Spain, and RMJM Ltd in Edinburgh - in a list of six finalists for the Stirling Prize. The bookmakers William Hill have issued odds for the six finalists with the Edinburgh building at 5-2.

According to the judges, the building represents "A remarkable architectural statement which has an enormous impact not only on the visitors to the building but also on the users who repeatedly move through a series of extraordinary spaces and their changing effects. The proof the extraordinary architectural ambition and vision is to be seen in every aspect and detail of the finished building."

The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland welcomed the announcement that the new Scottish parliament building designed by EMBT/RMJM is to be included on the shortlist. Mary Wrenn, RIAS Chief Executive said: "The new parliament building is a wonderful piece of architecture which everyone in Scotland can be proud of. It is entirely appropriate that the judges for the prestigious Stirling prize should consider this stunning building and it is especially exciting that the presentation ceremony will be broadcast live from the Royal Museum in Edinburgh on 15 October. Many congratulations to the architects and client."

Also on the list:
BMW Central Building; Leipzig, Germany - Zaha Hadid Architects
Lewis Glucksman Gallery; University College, Cork, Ireland - O'Donnell + Tuomey
McLaren Technology Centre; Woking, Surrey - Foster and Partners
Jubilee Library; Brighton, Sussex - Bennetts Associates with Lomax Cassidy + Edwards
Fawood Children's Centre; Harlesden, London - Alsop Design Ltd

Sir James Stirling

Selecting from a wide variety of buildings will be a challenge for the jury, says Jeremy Till, chair of the RIBA Awards Group. "It'll be no easy task," said Till. "We have a national parliament building competing with a children's centre, a library with a factory for making cars, and yet they all share one quality: true architectural excellence."

Till added: "Every one of these short-listed buildings would be a worthy winner - they're popular not just with critics, but with the public as well. They stimulate. They're full of new ideas, and new approaches."

The jury will visit all six buildings and then meet for a final time on 15 October, the day of the presentation, to pick the winner. The award will be announced live to a national television audience from the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. The RIBA Stirling Prize is considered the UK's most prestigious architectural prize. It is named after the Scots-born architect Sir James Stirling. A £20,000 prize is awarded to the architects of the building that has made the greatest contribution to British architecture in the past year.