The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has revealed the six buildings competing for this year’s Stirling Prize.

Maggie’s cancer-care centre in North Lanarkshire by Reiach and Hall Architects, is joined on the shortlist by Burntwood School by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris; Darbishire Place, Peabody housing by Niall McLaughlin Architects; NEO Bankside by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners; University of Greenwich, Stockwell Street Building by Heneghan Peng Architects; and The Whitworth by MUMA.

The Stirling Prize is awarded by the RIBA in recognition of the building that has made the greatest contribution to British architecture in the past year.

RIBA president Stephen Hodder, who himself won the prize in 1996 for his Centenary Building at the University of Salford, said: “Every one of the six shortlisted buildings illustrates why great architecture is so valuable – it has the power to delight, inspire and comfort us at all stages of our lives.

“The shortlisted projects are each surprising new additions to urban locations – hemmed in to a hospital car park, in-filling an east London square, completing a school campus – but their stand-out common quality is their exceptionally executed, crafted detail.”

“From the simple palette of materials used on the Maggie’s Centre, to the huge repeating facades of NEO Bankside, every detail on every building, both internally and externally, is well-executed,” he added.

“Not only are these the best new housing projects, school, university, cultural and health buildings in the country today, they are game-changers that other architects, clients and local authorities should aspire to.”

The Stirling Prize winner will be selected by a panel of judges including incoming RIBA president Jane Duncan, architects Peter Clegg and Steve Tompkins, and arts philanthropist Theresa Sackler.

It will be announced at a ceremony at the RIBA’s London headquarters on 15 October.

The shortlisted buildings with judges comments:

Burntwood School, Wandsworth by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

“Bold, characterful new campus buildings with light-filled rooms and corridors add to a sense of this being a very collegiate school.”

Darbishire Place, E1 by Niall McLaughlin Architects

“Dignified new 13-home Peabody apartment building, with refined proportions and details.”

Maggie’s Lanarkshire by Reiach and Hall Architects

“Modest, low building that gathers a sequence of domestic-scaled spaces. Visitors enter via a quiet arrival court, defined by the low brick walls and two lime trees. At once, a sense of dignity and calm is encountered.”

NEO Bankside, SE1 by Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners

“New luxury housing towers with exo-skeleton and external lifts on London’s South Bank - a well-mannered example of a structurally expressive architecture.”

University of Greenwich Stockwell Street Building, SE10 by Heneghan Peng architects

“Located in a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this delightful building houses the main university library and the departments of Architecture, Landscape and Arts.”

The Whitworth, Manchester by MUMA

“Extension to the 19th century Whitworth Gallery - carefully crafted spaces emerge seamlessly from the existing as an integral yet individualistic part of the whole assembly.”