Press Release:
World Architecture Festival Reveals 2018 Awards Shortlist
Downloadable PDF
28-30 November 2018, RAI Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The Petroleum Studies & Research Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects
©Hufton+Crow
Peninsula House by Bernardes Arquitetura
©Fernando Guerra
A research centre in Riyadh, a village lounge in rural China and a mosque without a minaret in Iran are among the projects shortlisted in the World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards 2018 – the world’s biggest architectural awards programme.
WAF will reconvene for its eleventh edition in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, from 28-30 November this year. This is the first time the event has been hosted in the Dutch capital, following previous editions in Barcelona, Singapore and Berlin.
The 2018 awards programme received more than 1,000 entries for the first time, with numbers up 20 per cent compared with 2017. Architects and designers generated 536 shortlisted entries across 81 countries.
Chinese practices submitted the most projects from any country, with 76 per cent more than last year. This reflects the significant level of ongoing development in East Asia and Oceania, with Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore also ranking highly. In Europe, the UK was again well represented, with Turkey also featuring prominently. In tandem with the event being hosted in Amsterdam, the organisers received a record number of Dutch entries, with projects including housing, transport and universities.
The top 5 countries entering WAF 2018 are: China, Australia, the UK, Turkey and USA.
Shortlisting judges noted the strength of the ‘Old and New’ category, with plenty of innovative ideas and creative re-use of old structures through extensions and additions, for example Thomas Heatherwick’s conversion of a disused grain silo in South Africa for use as a contemporary art gallery.
View a selection of images of highlight projects from the 2018 shortlist here: http://bit.ly/WAF18_Highlights
All types and sizes of architectural projects are represented on the 536-strong shortlist, ranging from private residential, to education, infrastructure, healthcare, hospitality, cultural/civic, interior and landscape projects.
The architects and designers behind each shortlisted project will compete for category prizes at WAF from 28-30 November. They will present to international juries in front of festival delegates. Category winners then compete against each other on the final day of the festival, to compete for the ultimate accolades of World Building of the Year, Future Project of the Year, Interior of the Year and Landscape of the Year.
Major world architects shortlisted include Zaha Hadid Architects, OMA, Foster & Partners, BIG, Neri & Hu, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, Turenscape, Nikken Sekkei, Rafael Vinoly Architects, Grimshaw, Tabanlioglu Architects, Heatherwick Studio and FJMT. Many smaller practices will also take part to pitch against the big names.
WAF programme director Paul Finch commented: “This has been a terrific year for the WAF Awards, reaching our largest entry total to date. This has not resulted in any decrease in quality, if anything the opposite. It has been extremely gratifying to review entries from more than 81 different countries and note the way in which architects are absorbing lessons from contemporaries across the world.”
Presentations of the shortlisted designs will be made to more than 100 international judges. The 2018 completed buildings ‘Super Jury’ which will decide the World Building of the Year, will be chaired by Nathalie de Vries, Director & Co-founder of Dutch practice MVRDV; panellists include Sir David Adjaye of Adjaye Associates; Manuelle Gautrand, Principal, Manuelle Gautrand Architecture; and Li Xiadong, Founder, Li Xiadong Atelier.
WAF and its co-located event, INSIDE World Festival of Interiors, will welcome more than 2,000 of the world’s leading architects and designers to Amsterdam for three days of conference programmes, awards, exhibitions and fringe events from 28-30 November.
The full shortlist for this year’s awards can be viewed HERE.
For more details on the WAF Awards and the festival please visit: www.worldarchitecturefestival.com @worldarchfest #WAF2018
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Press, images and interview requests: Caro Communications: 020 7713 9388; @carocomms
Charlotte Treadwell – charlotte@carocommunications.com
Alicia Yau – alicia@carocommunications.com
About World Architecture Festival (WAF)
WAF is where the world architecture community meets to celebrate, learn, exchange and be inspired.
WAF is the world’s largest annual, international, live architectural event. It includes the biggest international architectural awards programme in the world, dedicated to celebrating excellence via live presentations to an audience of high-profile delegates and international juries.
The 2018 World Architecture Festival (WAF) comprises:
– A thematic conference programme (this year based on the theme ‘Identity’)
– Electronic gallery of all Award entries
– Exhibition area
– Live judging of finalists’ projects
– Architectural tour programme
– Networking and social events including partner fringe events
– Gala Awards Dinner
INSIDE World Festival of Interiors runs alongside WAF, with its own awards and conference programme. Delegates have access to both events.
WAF and INSIDE are organised 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 Amsterdam on the 28, 29 and 30 November 2018. On the final day, category winners will present again to ‘super-juries’ of experienced and respected judges, who will decide on the World Building of the Year, Future Project and Completed Building of the Year Awards.
WAF Award categories:
Commercial Mixed-Use – Future Projects
Competition Entries – Future Projects
Experimental – Future Projects
Infrastructure – Future Projects
Leisure-led Development – Future Projects
Masterplanning Future – Future Projects
Civic and Community – Completed Building
Higher Education & Research – Completed Buildings
Hotel & Leisure – Completed Buildings
Mixed-use – Completed Buildings
New & Old – Completed Buildings
Production, Energy & Recycling – Completed Buildings
Religion – Completed Buildings
Shopping – Completed Buildings
Transport – Completed Buildings
Sponsors: WAF is proud to work with Founder Partner, Grohe, and headline partners ABB Busch-Jaeger and Miele.
About GROHE: GROHE is the world’s leading provider of sanitary fittings and has a total of over 6,000 employees, 2,400 of which are based in Germany. GROHE has been part of the LIXIL Group Corporation since 2014. As an international brand, GROHE pursues the brand values of technology, quality, design and sustainability, seeking to offer the “Pure joy of water”. GROHE has been developing new product categories since its inception. This includes the GROHE Blue and Red water systems and the recently introduced GROHE Sense water security system, which is an innovative component in the growth market of smart home technology. Innovation, design and development are closely aligned with one another and are enshrined in the German site as an integrated process. As a result, GROHE products carry the seal of quality “Made in Germany”. In the past ten years along, more than 300 design and innovation awards as well as several top rankings in the German Sustainability Awards have confirmed GROHE’s success. GROHE was the first in its industry to win the German government’s CSR prize and was also featured in the renowned Fortune® magazine’s ranking of Top 50 that are “Changing the World”.