Messner Mountain Museum, by Zaha Hadid Architects, and China Pavilion for Milan Expo 2015, by Studio Link-Arc, both shortlisted in the Completed Buildings: Culture category of WAF 2016.

A ‘Happiness Centre’ in Bhutan, a futuristic London tube station, a miniature library in the Philippines and a former Stalinist expo centre turned urban farm are among the projects that have today been shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival (WAF) awards 2016 – the world’s biggest architectural awards programme.

WAF organisers saw a significant uplift in entries submitted from across Europe in 2016 as the festival relocates to Berlin. Now in its ninth year, WAF has received a record number of award entries for November’s annual event.

The largest rise in year-on-year entries came from the UK and Germany. UK-based architects have the highest number of projects on the shortlist, followed by their peers from the robust economies of Turkey

and Australia respectively. The truly international shortlist extends to include architects from 42 different nations with projects based across 58 countries.

All types and sizes of architectural projects are represented on the 343-strong shortlist, with entries ranging from private homes, shops and schools to large commercial developments and ambitious landscape projects.

Major international practices shortlisted this year include Foster + Partners, Zaha Hadid Architects and Rogers Stirk Harbour (UK); Robert A.M. Stern, Studio Gang and KPF (USA); Ingenhoven Architects (Germany); Coop Himmelb(l)au (Austria); Nikken Sekkei (Japan); Turenscape (China); and Studio Milou (France). Previous category winners also shortlisted this year include Sanjay Puri Architects (India); WOW Architects (Singapore); Nabil Gholam Architects (Lebanon); Neri & Hu Design and Research Office (China); Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (UK); Cox Rayner and Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp (Australia); and BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group (Denmark). They are joined by many smaller practices unknown outside their own countries that have seized the opportunity to gain global recognition at this year’s event.

The architectural practices behind each project will battle it out in live judging sessions to be held at the World Architecture Festival in Berlin, 16-18 November. All will be hoping to be crowned winners of one

of 32 categories and go on to compete for the ultimate accolades of ‘World Building of the Year’ and ‘Future Project of the Year’.

Paul Finch, Programme Director of the World Architecture Festival, commented on this year’s shortlist: “This is a very exciting year for us, with a record entry and a very high overall standard. Our move to Berlin, after four successful years in Singapore, has not deterred Asian and Australasian practices from entering the awards, and we have

seen big increases from Europe and North America. We look forward to meeting the shortlisted architects in Berlin in November.”

Entries will be evaluated by an international panel of judges, which this year includes Ole Scheeren, architect of The Interlace, the 2015 World Building of the Year, Louisa Hutton of Sauerbruch Hutton, Christoph Ingenhoven of Ingenhoven Architects, and David Chipperfield of David Chipperfield Architects.

In addition to the awards, WAF includes a conference programme based around the Festival’s 2016 theme ‘Housing for Everyone’, which will debate the growing understanding of how demographics and global

urbanisation are forcing change in the way we think about housing.  With imperatives to create shelter at one end of the spectrum, and sufficiency for occupation and investment at the other, the programme will examine the significant contribution that architects can make.

WAF and its co-located sister event INSIDE World Festival of Interiors, will welcome more than 2,000 of the world’s leading architects and designers to the city for three days of conference programmes, awards, exhibitions and fringe events from 16-18 November.

Following four successful years in Singapore, the Festival returns to its European roots and will be housed in Franz Ahrens’ historic former bus depot, now known as Arena Berlin.

About World Architecture Festival

Why get involved in World Architecture Festival?

Universal recognition, WAF is where the world architecture community meets to celebrate, learn, exchange and be inspired.

World Architecture Festival is now the world’s largest, annual, international architectural event. It includes the biggest architectural awards programme in the world, dedicated to celebrating excellence via

live presentations to an audience of high-profile delegates and international juries.

After four years in Singapore, the World Architecture Festival will be returning to Europe and will take place in Berlin on the 16-18 November.

The 2016 World Architecture Festival (WAF) comprises 5 key elements:

– The WAF Awards

– A thematic conference programme

– An exhibition of Award entries

– Sponsor and exhibitor stands

– A series of networking/social events, as well as WAF fringe activities

INSIDE World Festival of Interiors runs alongside WAF, with its own awards and conference programme. Delegates have access to both events. The INSIDE shortlist will be announced on 18th July 2016.

WAF and INSIDE are organized by EMAP, publishers of The Architectural Review and The Architects’ Journal.

Entry information

Shortlisted entrants will compete for category prizes on the first two days of the three-day Festival, which will take place in Berlin on the 16, 17 and 18 November 2016.  On the final day, category winners will present again to ‘super-juries’ of experienced and respected judges, who will decide on the World Landscape, Future Project and Completed Building of the Year Awards.

Sponsors

WAF is proud to work with Founder Partner, Grohe and happy to announce new headline partners ABB Busch-Jaeger and Miele.