We have a winner: the 2015 Stirling Prize recipient is revealed

Burntwood School in Wandsworth
Winner: Burntwood School in Wandsworth by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris.
(Image credit: Rob Parrish)

With this year's diverse list, it's been hard to predict the winner of the 2015 RIBA Stirling Prize. But the ballots were cast and the votes have been counted, and the winner is - drum roll! - the Burntwood School in Wandsworth, London by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

The inspiring project impressed the judges - RIBA President Jane Duncan, architect Peter Clegg, architect and winner of the 2014 RIBA Stirling Prize Steve Tompkins, arts philanthropist Dame Theresa Sackler, and The Architects' Journal editor Rory Olcayto. 

The scheme involved transforming a 1950s secondary school campus and including six new faculty buildings and two large cultural buildings. These were linked to the complex's original buildings by renowned 1950s/1960s architect Sir Leslie Martin.

The list of nominees was rich and hugely varied, spanning cultural spaces (The Whitworth in Manchester by MUMA); education buildings (the Burntwood School of course, and also the University of Greenwich Stockwell Street Building in London SE10 by Heneghan Peng architects); housing for all budgets (cue London's Darbishire Place, Peabody housing by Niall McLaughlin Architects and NEO Bankside, by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners); and one of the latest Maggie's Cancer Care centres, in Lanarkshire by Reiach and Hall Architects. The six buildings (and architecture practices) battled for the award since the shortlist was announced in July. 

This is the landmark 20th year for the prestigious architecture award, which has been known to reward projects for their original designs, imagination and functionality - and this year has been no exception. 'It [the Burntwood School] demonstrates the full range of the skills that architects can offer to society,' said the judges.

Burntwood School in Wandsworth

Winner: Burntwood School in Wandsworth by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris.

(Image credit: Rob Parrish)

Burntwood School in Wandsworth

Winner: Burntwood School in Wandsworth by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris.

(Image credit: Rob Parrish)

Darbishire Place in London

Nominee: Darbishire Place in London's E1 by Niall McLaughlin Architects.

(Image credit: Nick Kane)

Darbishire Place in London

Nominee: Darbishire Place in London's E1 by Niall McLaughlin Architects.

(Image credit: Nick Kane)

Darbishire Place in London

Nominee: Darbishire Place in London's E1 by Niall McLaughlin Architects.

(Image credit: Nick Kane)

Maggies Lanarkshire by Reiach and Hall

Nominee: Maggies Lanarkshire by Reiach and Hall Architects.

(Image credit: David Grandorge)

Maggies Lanarkshire by Reiach and Hall

Nominee: Maggies Lanarkshire by Reiach and Hall Architects.

(Image credit: David Grandorge)

Maggies Lanarkshire by Reiach and Hall

Nominee: Maggies Lanarkshire by Reiach and Hall Architects.

(Image credit: David Grandorge)

NEO Banksid in London

Nominee: NEO Banksid in London's SE1 by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners.

(Image credit: Edmund Sumner)

NEO Banksid in London

Nominee: NEO Banksid in London's SE1 by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners.

(Image credit: Edmund Sumner)

NEO Banksid in London

Nominee: NEO Banksid in London's SE1 by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners.

(Image credit: Edmund Sumner)

Whitworth in Manchester by MUMA

Nominee: The Whitworth in Manchester by MUMA.

(Image credit: Alan Williams)

Whitworth in Manchester by MUMA

Nominee: The Whitworth in Manchester by MUMA.

(Image credit: Alan Williams)

Whitworth in Manchester by MUMA

Nominee: The Whitworth in Manchester by MUMA.

(Image credit: Alan Williams)

University of Greenwich Stockwell Street Building

Nominee: University of Greenwich Stockwell Street Building in London's SE10 by Heneghan Peng architects.

(Image credit: Hufton + Crow)

University of Greenwich Stockwell Street Building

Nominee: University of Greenwich Stockwell Street Building in London's SE10 by Heneghan Peng architects.

(Image credit: Hufton + Crow)

University of Greenwich Stockwell Street Building

Nominee: University of Greenwich Stockwell Street Building in London's SE10 by Heneghan Peng architects.

(Image credit: Hufton + Crow)

Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).