THE re-born Everyman Theatre has won its best ever review - with a landmark achievement.

The venue won the coveted RIBA Stirling Prize 2014 for the best building of the year - the UK's most prestigious architecture prize.

The world famous venue beat five other stunning buildings to win the honour.

The other shortlisted buildings included London's Shard and the Library of Birmingham.

The presentation of the RIBA Stirling Prize trophy to Haworth Tompkins took place at a special ceremony at the Royal Institute of British Architects in London on Thursday.

The Everyman team were there to hear how this ambitious £27 re-birth took the judges by storm.

Everyman & Playhouse's Hoylake-based artistic director Gemma Bodinetz and executive director Deborah Aydon said: "We're thrilled to have won this most prestigious of awards.

"The Everyman was built with humanity at its heart, an intent embodied by the 105 people of Liverpool on its façade.

"Since we reopened the warmth of feeling from the public to their much-loved Everyman – given a daring and brilliant rebirth from Haworth Tompkins – has been almost overwhelming.

"Haworth Tompkins have delivered us a building that is sustainable, technically first rate and with unparalleled levels of accessibility for a theatre.

"On a small site with many competing needs and technical necessities they overcame every challenge with zeal and imagination to create something which is a beautiful as it is functional.

"But most of all they have transformed a building that lacked so much into a building that embodies what the Everyman's ethos has always been: world-class theatre in our auditorium, nurturing new writing, great food in convivial spaces, and somewhere for young people to dream of a future where nothing is impossible.

"Ten years ago when we embarked on this journey with Haworth Tompkins we could never have imagined it would end in winning the RIBA Stirling Prize.

"They have designed a building that supplies joy beyond expectation to every visitor and those of us lucky enough to work there."

The old Everyman Theatre in Liverpool opened in 1964 in the shell of a nineteenth century chapel.

The decision to pull the theatre down and replace it with a new one was a nine-year project for the architects Haworth Tompkins.

The difficult challenge was in ensuring that the soul of the old Everyman, one of informality and community ownership.

The 'theatre of the people' was carried into the new building. The result is a new building on Hope Street with a striking exterior and elegant interior.

RIBA President Stephen Hodder said: "The success of this exceptional new building lies in the architect’s close involvement with the local community throughout the project.

"Haworth Tompkins have struck the perfect balance between continuity and change to win the hearts and minds of the people of Liverpool with the vibrant new Everyman.

"Complementing beautifully with the surrounding listed buildings, it is a ground-breaking example of how to build a daring bold and highly sustainable large public building in a historic city centre. The building exceeds expectations."

Steve Tompkins of Haworth Tompkins said: “Winning the RIBA Stirling Prize is an enormous honour for our project team and our clients.

"The reward for an intensive collaboration over almost a decade, during which we have grown to love the Everyman and the great city that it serves.

" It is also an important endorsement of our studio's ethos and an encouragement to carry on working the way we do, despite the pressures all of us are under to speed up and dumb down. We couldn't be more delighted.”

The judges citation for the RIBA Stirling Prize winner said: "The new Everyman in Liverpool is truly for every man, woman and child.

"It cleverly resolves so many of the issues architects face every day.

"Its context - the handsome street that links the two cathedrals – is brilliantly complemented by the building’s scale, transparency, materials and quirky sense of humour, notably where the solar shading is transformed into a parade of Liverpudlians. "