Stirling Prize Winner 2008

[Mike]

Dezeen have some really nice images of the Stirling Prize winners, Fielden Clegg Bradley, Alison Brooks Architects and McReanor Lavington for their Accordia housing development. I found that the image below was the best of the bunch. It was interesting to see that they beat stiff competition from Amsterdam Bijlmer Arena Station by Grimshaw and ARCADIS Architecten; Manchester Civil Justice Centre by Denton Corker Marshall; Nord Park Cable Railway by Zaha Hadid Architects; Royal Festival Hall by Allies and Morrison and Westminster Academy by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris.

This is a bit late in posting - the forum problems were pretty time consuming!

[mr_e]

Looks like a contentious one if the comments on that Dezeen article are representative at all. Personally, I don't know if I like it, but the other elevations make it seem a bit more exciting. It's one of those things that really need to be experienced to get a feel for how well it works: I always find housing difficult to judge from limited pictures.

[Mike]

Maybe I am looking from a technical eye perspective but I can't help but appreciate the thought and detail that has gone into that housing!

[stimpsonslostson]

Am I alone in thinking it looks like a cross between a castle with turrets and a prison with watchtowers?

I don't think I get it... but I've not read the guff on the page yet.
p

[Mike]

If they are watch towers then they must be the smallest people in the world. Pigmy guards and all that! Well, I suppose this is highlighting that Architects opinions are rifts apart from the general consensus.