Grand Designs Presenter Kevin McCloud presents Stirling Prize

23 Oct 08

GRAND Designs presenter Kevin McCloud ran the rule over one of the grandest designs in Liverpool when he presented this year's Stirling Prize from the city's Arena and Convention Centre.

The presenter of the Channel 4 show, which has helped to popularise architecture and design issues, fronted the awards ceremony on Saturday at the BT Convention Centre on the city’s King’s Waterfront.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) event was broadcast on Channel 4, with McCloud visiting the six shortlisted buildings competing for glory before presenting live coverage from Liverpool. During the show, he praised ACC Liverpool, which was itself designed by a former Stirling Prize winner, WilkinsonEyre architects.

ACC Liverpool, home of the ECHO Arena and BT Convention Centre, won a prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Award earlier this year, when judges described the building as a 'significant contribution to the historic river frontage of the Mersey' and part of an 'elegant and sophisticated composition'.

This year's Stirling Prize was won by Accordia, a housing scheme in Cambridge.

Jacquie Rogers, BT Convention Centre general manager, said: "Securing the Stirling Prize was a massive coup for us because the event attracted the most senior decision-makers and influencers in the world of design and architecture and was a real opportunity for us to show off our facilities.

"It also gave us nationwide TV exposure which was hugely valuable in terms of us raising our profile across the UK."

It comprises the 10,600-seat Echo Arena and the state-of-the-art BT Convention Centre. The latter features a 1,350 seat auditorium, a 3,725 sq metre multi-purpose hall 18 meeting rooms and total exhibition space in excess of 7,000 sq metres.