Stirling prize 2011 shortlist – in pictures

Formerly the British Telecom headquarters in Islington, the 1980s-built Angel centre was shortlisted for the Stirling prize following a £72m refit Photograph: RIBA Originally designed by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris , the Angel building was stripped back to its concrete frame and reclad as a speculative office block, shaving almost 15% off the cost of a completely new building Photograph: RIBA 'Refurbishment saves money and reduces the environmental impact of construction,' said Simon Allford, lead architect of the overhauled Angel centre Photograph: RIBA Originally built in 1932, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon recently rejected the idea of a costly rebuild and opted for a spot of remodelling and brand new auditorium instead – at a mere £60m Photograph: Peter Cook/View Photograph: Peter Cook / View The Royal Shakespeare Company had first planned to replace its base with a futuristic structure by Dutch architect Erick van Egeraat. But financial woes and local objections persuaded them a refit was the way to go. Thanks to designers Bennetts Associates , the theatre now boasts a natty new 'thrust' stage and viewing tower Photograph: Peter Cook/View Photograph: Peter Cook / View The Royal Shakespeare's refurb has 'captured the spirits and ghosts of the theatre', said architect Rab Bennetts Photograph: Peter Cook/View Photograph: Peter Cook / View An Gaelaras in Derry, Northern Ireland. As the UK's first Irish-language cultural centre and a product of the Good Friday agreement, it's bursting with political credentials – but will that be enough to impress the RIBA judges? Photograph: Dennis Gilbert/View Photograph: Dennis Gilbert / VIEW The centrepiece of An Gaeleras, designed by Dublin-based O’Donnell & Tuomey , is a spectacular four-storey atrium, criss-crossed by stairs and galleries Photograph: Dennis Gilbert/RIBA Photograph: Dennis Gilbert / RIBA 'Handsome' and 'unfussy', Michael Hopkins’s Velodrome in London's Olympic Park is currently the bookies' favourite to win, according to the Guardian's Steve Rose Photograph: Anthony Palmer/RIBA Photograph: Anthony Palmer / RIBA The velodrome, nicknamed 'the pringle', has been described as 'the best in the world' by Team GB cyclists Photograph: RIBA An aerial view of London's Velopark, with the basketball arena and Olympic Village also in view Photograph: Anthony Charlton/RIBA Photograph: Anthony Charlton / RIBA The £38m Evelyn Grace academy in Lambeth, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects , is one of the most expensive city academy schools ever built Photograph: RIBA RIBA's selection of Hadid’s academy highlights an ongoing row between architects and Michael Gove, the education secretary who was quoted complaining that architects were 'creaming cash' from their school design contracts Photograph: RIBA While the Evelyn Grace academy is undoubtedly a masterpiece, Zaha Hadid scooped up last year's Stirling prize, so her chances of winning again this year seem remote Photograph: RIBA Clean-lined and sharp-edged, David Chipperfield's Museum Folkwang art gallery in Essen makes up the six contenders Photograph: Christian Richters/RIBA Photograph: RIBA Chipperfield already won the Stirling prize in 2007, with another starkly streamlined German building (this time the Museum of Modern Literature in Marbach) Photograph: RIBA