Aberdeen Art Gallery named Scotland's building of the year

Aberdeen Art Gallery reopened in 2019

Aberdeen Art Gallery has been named Scotland's building of the year.

Designed by architect Alexander Marshall McKenzie, the building in the city's Schoolhill area first opened in 1885.

It reopened in 2019 after a four-year refurbishment costing £34.6m.

The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) named the new-look gallery designed by Hoskins Architects as winner of the 2021 Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award.

The prize was for transforming what was described as a "fine existing building".

They were praised for making the building "more welcoming, more sustainable, and more accessible".

• Prince Charles opens new look Aberdeen Art Gallery

• 'Showstopper' gallery reopens after £34.6m revamp

As part of the refurbishment, more than 1,000 copper panels were installed with the addition of a new floor. The architects receive a £10,000 prize.

The other nominees were:

• Bayes Centre, Edinburgh, by Bennetts Associates

• The Egg Shed, Ardrishaig, by Oliver Chapman Architects

• The Hill House Box, Helensburgh, by Carmody Groarke

• Sportscotland National Sports Training Centre, Inverclyde, by Reiach and Hall Architects

RIAS president Christina Gaiger said: "Aberdeen Art Gallery is an outstanding building and a highly deserving winner.

"Hoskins Architects have brought a piece of Scottish heritage into the 21st century with humility, skill and sensitivity."

The gallery has been described as a "showstopper"

Chris Coleman-Smith, director at Hoskins Architects, described the award as the "most important architectural prize in Scotland" and said they we "thrilled".

When the gallery reopened in November 2019, VisitScotland described it as a "showstopper" that would underpin Aberdeen's "cultural renaissance". Prince Charles officially opened the refurbished building.

The annual Doolan Award is named in memory of its founder and patron, the architect and developer Andy Doolan, who died in 2004.

Previous winners include The Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience at Craigellachie.