Unlike the institute’s prestigious Lubetkin Prize, which was scrapped last year, the competition is open to any building, of any type and budget, in any country in the world.

Entry is also not limited to RIBA members but to any qualified architect across the globe.

The award will compete with the World Architecture Festival’s Building of the Year, the only one other high-profile international prize for a single building, which was won this year by The Interlace in Singapore by Ole Scheeren.

RIBA said the winning scheme will “demonstrate visionary, innovative thinking and excellence of execution, whilst making a distinct contribution to its users and to its physical context”.

The inaugural prize, to be awarded at a ceremony in London next year, will be judged by a grand jury including Richard Rogers, Kunlé Adeyemi, director, NLÉ Projects, and Philip Gumuchdjian, director of Gumuchdjian Architects.

The shortlist of six buildings chosen from 20 winners of the new ‘RIBA Awards for International Excellence’ will be visited by the grand jury before a winner is decided.

In its first year the award is open to any building completed in the last three years but from next year this will be changed to only take into account buildings completed within two years of the deadline.

RIBA President Jane Duncan said: “We are thrilled to launch this new award to recognise ‘and celebrate architectural excellence across the world. It is our intention that the RIBA International Prize will uncover the world’s most innovative and visionary architecture and spark local and global debates about the positive impact that well-designed buildings and places can have on their communities and environment.”

Richard Rogers, chair of the grand jury, added: “I’m delighted to lead the jury for the inaugural RIBA International Prize, and look forward to discovering how architecture is reacting to and resolving issues posed by the changing demands of a global community. We look forward to establishing the RIBA International Prize as a new standard by which to assess and promote design excellence on a global scale.”

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