This morning I was phoned by a reporter on one of the weekly magazines. She was trying to get a debate going on the Stirling Prize. Ah, I thought, what will this be about? The wrong kind of sponsorship? The wrong kind of judging process? Neither. It was about the wrong kind of building…

To be exact, one of the shortlisted candidates for the Stirling Prize is not a building at all, but a masterplan, namely the 42-acre rebuilding of Liverpool’s retail centre known as Liverpool One. The masterplan was by BDP, and a lot of other architects were involved in the individual buildings. So: was I against this?

I thought for a bit. Well, a masterplan is not a building, sure. But it implies buildings, and in this case, buildings and open spaces of various kinds have duly been built. Some of these are by BDP, others by Allies and Morrison, Dixon Jones, Glenn Howells, Haworth Tompkins, Cesar Pelli, CZWG, etc etc. Does this matter?

No, it does not. Although BDP themselves claim this as a first, I’m not so sure. Last year’s Stirling winner was also a masterplan, by Feilden Clegg for the Accordia housing project in Cambrdige. Feilden Clegg contributed buildings, as did Maccreanor Lavington and Alison Brooks. It’s different, but not that different. In an earlier year, the Phoenix Inititative masterplan in Coventry by MacCormac Jamieson Prichard – an open-space strategy with incidental buildings and artworks – was shortlisted. Nobody complained.

Liverpool One is a very convincing urban design. The best examples of such designs deserve to be recognised. But should it improbably win, BDP must pack the stage with as many of the other architects involved as they can find in the room. It’s a team effort.

Oh, and I decided not to take part in the debate. A masterplan is architecture, and the Stirling Prize is for architecture. End of chat.

Click here to view all six building projects which have made it onto this year’s shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize.