The Decada prizes were created with the express intention of offering an alternative to so many prizes in which a jury with shared responsibility judges very recent works, many far away and not visited in person, being guided, more often than not, only by photographic documentation. So the essence of the Década prizes consisted of: judging works that were finished ten years earlier, with a single judge, within a restricted area that makes it possible to pay a leisurely personal visit to each of the short-listed works. These awards honour not only the prize-winning buildings and architects but also the judges invited to each edition, all of them international architects whom I admire and respect, and not just for their professional career. I have to note here that four of the ten judges have been honoured by the Pritzker Prize and that two of them have received it after receiving our invitation.     After ten years of existence we have decided to bring this initiative to a close, not only because of the financial difficulties affecting our sponsors and the Foundation itself, but also because we were running out of admired architects whom we could invite. Nonetheless, we are sure that the Década prizes will continue to stand as a lasting testimony to ten years of architecture in Barcelona.