West Ham's London Stadium named Stadium of the Year for 2016

West Ham's controversial London Stadium has been named Stadium of the Year for 2016 by architectural experts.

The former London 2012 Olympic Stadium saw off competition from 28 other venues to be named StadiumDB's best stadium, voted for by a jury of five experts

West Ham's stadium has had more critics than plaudits since the start of this season, but in a statement posted on the venue's official website, judge Robert Mankin said: "Although the conversion has taken some time, this is an excellent case study for adaptation of an Olympic legacy facility.

"The final result feels fresh and new, and the integration into the surrounding park is quite well done."

Criteria included the stadium's visual impact, how it relates to its surrounding and how innovative it is.

Rival stadia included Rapid Vienna's Allianz Stadion, Udinese's Dacia Arena, the Miami Dolphins' Hard Rock Stadium and Besiktas' Vodafone Arena in Istanbul, which won the public vote.

Shortlist

• Allianz Stadion, Vienna
• Cape Coast Stadium, Cape Coast
• Dacia Arena, Udine
• Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
• London Stadium, London - Architecture expert winner
• Medical Park Arena, Trabzon
• Sivas Arena, Sivas
• Stadion FC Krasnodar, Krasnodar
• Stadion Miejski, Bielsko-Biała
• Vodafone Arena, Istanbul - Public vote winner

The original top 30 shortlist included Bristol City's redeveloped Ashton Gate, The Karbala International Stadium in Iraq, Parc OL in Lyon and Windsor Park in Belfast.