A new £18m theatre in Belfast has been short-listed for the 2012 Stirling Prize in architecture.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) put the new Lyric Theatre in the running for the £20,000 prize, alongside London's Olympic Stadium and Maggie's cancer centre in Glasgow.

Judges from RIBA said the completion of the theatre last year had "proved more than worthwhile".

They praised the building's architecture for responding well to the design challenge inherent in a steep riverside site.

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Judges wrote: "The new Lyric Theatre is a striking and much-anticipated new home for a theatre with unique status in Belfast. The architects respond to the considerable design challenges presented by its location with gusto. The steeply sloping river frontage within a tightly knit fabric of brick terraced houses presented a demanding agenda for a building destined to be a public facility in a domestic environment capable of accommodating large numbers in the auditorium, studio and rehearsal room. The architects met the challenge admirably."

They concluded: "The quality of the interior spaces, its sensitive response to a challenging site and the expansion of the Lyric's ability to function behind the scenes make this a stunning accomplishment and a pleasure to spend time in."

The new Lyric theatre was designed by O'Donnell and Turoney architects.

At 54,164 square feet it is almost three times the size of the previous Lyric theatre on the same site.

(NE)