Image by Luke Hayes, courtesy of RIBA

The Evelyn Grace Academy is run by ARK (Absolute Return for Kids) Academy organisation, a charity set up by Arpad 'Arki' Busson, the hedge-fund multimillionaire. ARK aims to offer exceptional opportunities to local children in inner cities with the aim of helping to close the achievement gap between children from disadvantaged and more affluent backgrounds.

Peter Walker, Principal of the Evelyn Grace Academy said:

'This visually stunning building makes a powerful statement to our students every day they attend school. As a new academy setting the highest expectations for all students, it is fitting that we have such an aspirational environment. The internal structure of the building supports the innovative nature of Evelyn Grace Academy’s small school system exceptionally well.'

Zaha Hadid said:

'It is very significant that our first project in London is the Evelyn Grace. Schools are among the first examples of architecture that everyone experiences and have a profound impact on all children as they grow up. I am delighted that the Evelyn Grace Academy has been so well received by all its students and staff.'

Evelyn Grace Academy was chosen from the following outstanding shortlisted entries:

  • An Gaelaras, Derry by O’Donnell and Tuomey
  • The Angel Building, London by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM)
  • Folkwang Museum, Essen, Germany by David Chipperfield Architects
  • Olympic Velodrome London 2012 by Hopkins Architects, supported by the Olympic Delivery Authority
  • Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres, Stratford by Bennetts Associates

RIBA Stirling Prize 2011 winner - Evelyn Grace Academy, Brixton by Zaha Hadid Architects from RIBA on Vimeo.

RIBA President Angela Brady announced the winner, editor of The Architects' Journal Christine Murray awarded the £20,000 cheque and Peter Santo, Head of Benchmark presented the certificate to architects Zaha Hadid, Patrik Schumacher and Lars Teichman, and school principal Peter Walker.

The 2011 RIBA Stirling Prize judges were RIBA President and Chair of the judges, Angela Brady; Sir Peter Cook - architect and academic, formerly of Royal Gold Medal winning Archigram; Hanif Kara - engineer, Adams Kara Taylor; Dan Pearson - landscape designer and RIBA Honorary Fellow and Alison Brooks - architect and winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize 2008 with Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios and Maccreanor Lavington for the Accordia housing scheme.

The winners of the RIBA Lubetkin Prize and two special awards were also announced this evening:

The Met, a sixty-six storey residential skyscraper in Bangkok, Thailand by WOHA architects won the prestigious RIBA Lubetkin Prize for the most outstanding work of international architecture outside the EU by a member of the RIBA.

St. Patrick's School Library and Music Room in north-west London by Coffey Architects won the RIBA’s 2011 Stephen Lawrence Prize. Set up in memory of Stephen Lawrence who was setting out on the road to becoming an architect when he was murdered in 1993 and funded by the Marco Goldschmied Foundation, the prize rewards the best examples of projects that have a construction budget of less than £1 million and is intended to encourage fresh talent working with smaller budgets.

The Royal Shakespeare Company won the 2011 RIBA Client of the Year supported by the Bloxham Charitable Trust. The award recognizes the role good clients play in the delivery of fine architecture.

Evelyn Grace Academy

Shakespeare Road, London SE24

Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects

Client: ARK Schools

Contractor: Mace Plus

Structural Engineer: Arup

Contract value: £37.5m

Date of completion: 2010

Gross internal area: 10,745 sq m