You wouldn鈥檛 give a top architectural prize to 鈥渁 set of new dentures鈥�, would you? Well, that鈥檚 what the RIBA president did on Saturday night, presenting this year鈥檚 Stirling prize.

This was Sunand Prasad鈥檚 cheeky reference to the square-sectioned columns surrounding David Chipperfield鈥檚 Germany literature museum.

Cheekiness is not generally attributed to Chipperfield鈥檚 buildings; they are revered for their restraint. The Stirling jury did, however, appreciate the museum鈥檚 鈥渢heatricality鈥�.

Prasad also rose to the theatricality of the event, held at London鈥檚 Roundhouse. Not that this was a new experience for him. 鈥淚 staged a concert or two here in the seventies. We designed a scaffolding stage, which you couldn鈥檛 get away with nowadays.鈥�

Two architectural celebs were noted for their absence: Amanda Levete, director of Future Systems, and Baroness Blackstone, RIBA Trust president. Their excuse? They were at the wedding of Ben Evans, Blackstone鈥檚 son, to Levete.