“The wonder of this project speaks for itself and the level of achievement is of the highest order. The engineering challenge is immense, the solution innovative, bold and engaging”. With these words the jury of the Stirling Award, given annually to British architects declared the Gateshead Millennium Bridge as best building of 2002. A scheme which was judged as highly elegant being made up simply of two arches, one the bridge which crosses the River Tyne, between Gateshead and Newcastle, the other its support. A difficult challenge set by Wilkinson Eyre’s design prompted an innovative solution by engineers Gifford & Partners, responsible for the first tilting bridge in the world, 125 metres long and which cost 22 million pounds to build (almost 35 million Euros).

Amongst the runners up, a mixture of conversions, extensions and new build, was the Millennium Wing extension to the National Gallery of Ireland by Irish practice Benson + Forsyth; the London building for the Lloyd’s Register of Shipping by Richard Rogers; the Ernst Service Centre, an office complex designed by David Chipperfield in Germany; the Dance Base, four dance studios in Edinburgh designed by Malcolm Fraser Architects in Downland Gridshell castle; the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in Chichester by Edward Cullinan Architects and the London school of Hampden Gurney Church by Building Design Partnership.

Interestingly, it is the second time that London practice Wilkinson Eyre Architects have received the award (last year they won it for the Magna Centre in Rotherham, South Yorkshire) and the fourth time that they have reached the final.

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