As RIBA president points to jealousy over Zaha鈥檚 success

The project architect behind this year鈥檚 RIBA Stirling prize winner, the Evelyn Grace Academy, has hit out at the negative reaction to its surprise victory.

The 拢36.5m school in Brixton defeated favourite the Olympic velodrome to land the award at the beginning of this month, provoking a storm of criticism and claims that the judging process was politically motivated and lacking in transparency.

Zaha Hadid Architects鈥� project director Lars Teichmann said the school and the practice were proud of the building and attacked the 鈥渂itter鈥� reaction of many of the critics, who posted their comments on websites and social networking site Twitter.

There was a level of bitterness that the school didn鈥檛 deserve

Lars Teichmann, project director

鈥淭o be honest, we were surprised to win it because there seemed to be so much support for the velodrome,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was even more surprised by the bitterness afterwards.

鈥淧eople who had never visited the building made comments on websites and blogs - it was a level of bitterness that the school didn鈥檛 deserve.鈥�

Teichmann said it was a 鈥渇antastic achievement鈥� to be recognised by a Stirling jury adding that the striking appearance of the academy was not the key to its victory.

鈥淎ctually, it is very much tailored to the school鈥檚 needs and that is why it won. It has been great to see [pupils and teachers] interacting with the school - how they behave and what they get out of it.鈥�

RIBA president Angela Brady said that the school had been the jury鈥檚 unanimous choice, adding that critics resented Zaha Hadid Architects鈥� achievements including winning the 2010 Stirling prize for the Maxxi museum in Rome.

鈥淭here is huge jealousy towards Zaha Hadid. People don鈥檛 want her to do well, which is a shame. It is fully deserved that she has won the Stirling prize twice.鈥�

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