Czech architect Eva Jiricna has been awarded the 2013 Jane Drew Prize for her outstanding contribution to the status of women in architecture. The jury which included design luminaries Zaha Hadid, who was last year’s Jane Drew Prize winner, and Rafael Vinoly was unanimous in its decision describing Jiricna’s work as ‘incredibly influential’.

Known for her glass and steel staircases, former WAN AWARDS juror Jiricna established Eva Jiricna Architects in 1982 and saw her career quickly rise with work with clients that included Anderson Consulting, The Royal Academy of Arts, and Selfridges in the UK. Rafael Vinoly described her as an ‘extraordinary architect, but also an extraordinary person’. Noting the reach of her influence, fellow judge Ivan Harbour of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners said ‘if you walk into any Apple store today, in the end they all started with Eva’.

In addition to Hadid, Vinoly and Harbour, this year’s jury panel for the Jane Drew Prize included Martha Thorne, executive director of the Pritzker Architecture Prize; Moira Gemmill, design director at the V&A; Doreen Lawrence, founding director of the Stephen Lawrence Trust; Laura Lee, chief executive of Maggie’s Centres; Colette O’Shea, head of the London portfolio at Land Securities; Peter Rees, chief planning officer, City of London; Victoria Thornton, founding director of Open-City and chair Christine Murray, editor of the Architects’ Journal.

The AJ Women in Architecture awards ceremony, where Jiricna will be present to receive her award, will take place on 22 March at the Langham Hotel in London.