Derry's Culturlann is in World's Best Building award

While the Pope was consecrating Gaudi's the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona yesterday, a building closer to home, Derry's An Gaeláras Cultúrlann Ui Chanáin, was winning at the Oscars of the architectural world in the same city.

The Irish language and cultural centre, designed by architects O'Donnell & Tuomey, was runner up at this year's World Architectural Festival. The judges commented on the project's outstanding design qualities.

Not bad for a local arts centre which found itself in the same competition as Soccer City in Johannesburg, the Apple Store on New York's Upper West Side, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

It's certainly a bold piece of architecture, and amazingly, despite its angular concrete design and brash, bold colours, somehow manages to fit into the existing Victorian city scape of Great James street.

Also something that might not have come up in the judges' assessment in Barcelona at the weekend but one that I have experienced first hand. Inside it's high ceiling acts like an echo chamber when you're sitting in the coffee shop, an attraction spotted to the delight of my two daughters on a recent saturday afternoon outing!