Maggie's Centre wins the RIAS Best Building award

Maggie's Gartnavel was described as an "extraordinary building"

The Maggie's Centre at Gartnavel Hospital in Glasgow has been named as the best new building in Scotland.

The structure, by Dutch architects OMA, was awarded the Andrew Doolan Best Building by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.

After receiving their £25,000 prize - the biggest for architecture in the UK - OMA donated the cash to Maggie's.

The award is named after the late architect Andrew Doolan, whose work included the Point Hotel in Edinburgh.

The judges described Maggie's Gartnavel as an "extraordinary building" and "a place of calm, simultaneously welcoming and open".

Maggie's Centres provide support for people suffering from cancer and their families and friends.

'Tremendous resource'

The building was selected from a shortlist of 14 other projects which represented a range of building types including the Corinthian Club in Glasgow, Heathfield Primary School in Ayr and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh.

The award was presented by Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop and Margaret Doolan, Mr Doolan's mother.

Ms Hyslop said: "Scotland's international reputation for creativity is reflected in the outstanding quality of our architecture.

"The Maggie's Centre at Gartnavel is a building I know well. It is a tremendous resource for cancer patients and their families, a place of contemplation, support and healing.

"It is a huge credit to its enlightened client and to the sensitivity and skill of its architect."