World Architecture Festival 2024 shortlist reveals most innovative projects from across the globe

Clockwise: National Star Observatory by Kyriakos Tsolakis Architects; Natural Connection: OLM Nature Escape Eco-Aparthotel by Andreas Gruber Architects; Shenzhen Women & Children's Center by MVRDV; Sanctuary Pet Crematorium by Formwerkz Architects

The most innovative architectural projects from around the world are revealed today as the shortlist for the 2024 World Architecture Festival (WAF) is announced. This is ahead of the live event which will take place in Singapore once again this year, at Marina Bay Sands, from 6 - 8 November.

Today’s shortlist celebrates the best new completed buildings and landscapes as well as the most inspiring future architectural concepts, across 33 categories, ranging from residential, to transport, to retrofit. Later this week (Wednesday 10 July) the Inside World Festival of Interiors shortlist will be announced – WAF’s sister awards programme celebrating the finest examples of global interior design, across ten categories. The overall shortlist has been selected from 800 entries and comprises over 480 projects from more than 350 unique practices. 

WAF represents the world’s biggest live judged architectural awards programme, where all finalists present their projects to a panel of judges at the international festival.
 
View a selection of project image highlights from the 2024 WAF shortlist here.
 
This year’s finalists range from major world architects including Zaha Hadid Architects, WOHA, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, MVRDV, Tadao Ando Architect & Associates, Kohn Pederson Fox and Nikken Sekkei, with many emerging practices also on stage competing against the big names.
 
The full shortlist for this year's completed buildings, future and landscape project awards can be viewed here.

This year’s finalists represent 71 countries, with the top five shortlisted countries including China, Australia, United Kingdom, India and Singapore.

The international judging panel for this year’s awards consists of 175 industry experts across 32 countries, and will include industry leaders such as Kelley Cheng, Sanjay Puri, Mariana Simas, Sonali Rastogi, Mario Cucinella, Emre Arolat, Ian Ritchie, Charu Kokate, Yael Reisner, Sir Peter Cook and Nigel Coates.

On the final day of the festival, category winners from across all 43 categories will go head-to-head for the ultimate accolades of World Building of the Year, Landscape of the Year, Future Project of the Year and Interior of the Year.  A host of Special Prizes, including WAFX, which celebrates imaginative cutting-edge designs addressing major world issues, will also be awarded to projects from the main shortlist. 
 
WAF programme director Paul Finch comments: “Another terrific set of entries made shortlisting projects a tough process. Once again, the range of geographies represented was wide and we look forward to seeing architects across the world at this year’s Festival.

This year we have also made a selection of more than 30 awards in the WAFX section, where we recognize future projects addressing the world’s most pressing environmental and social issues, and these will be announced on the 15th July. With 175 judges coming to Singapore in November, this will be a truly international event and we look forward to welcoming both familiar and new names for the award presentations, and our thematic conference programme, ‘Tomorrow’, which will review the directions in which architecture is heading in relation to 21st century conditions.”

WAF will be back in Singapore for its 17th edition. This follows previous editions of the festival in Lisbon, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Berlin. In addition to the unique live-judged awards programme and crit presentations, this year’s event will include a live events programme and keynote talks from an international panel of speakers around the theme of ‘Tomorrow’. 

WAF and its co-located event, Inside World Festival of Interiors, will welcome the world’s leading architects and designers for three days of talks programmes, awards, exhibitions and fringe events, showcasing leading international practices, the best new projects, and most pressing live debates. 
 
Press can apply for an Official Press Pass to attend the World Architecture Festival here.

For more details on the 2024 World Architecture Festival and the WAF Awards please visit: www.worldarchitecturefestival.com @worldarchfest #WAF24 #INSIDE24

ENDS

About World Architecture Festival (WAF)
www.worldarchitecturefestival.com      

World Architecture Festival and Inside World Festival of Interiors will take place at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, on the 6 - 8 November 2024.
 
WAF is where the world architecture community meets to celebrate, learn, exchange and be inspired. 

Every year, WAF hosts the world's biggest live-judged architecture awards programme. It celebrates design achievements through presentations by architects to high-profile delegates and international judging panels.

The 2024 World Architecture Festival (WAF) comprises: 
- Events programme and keynote talks
- Live judging of finalists’ projects 
- Gallery of all award entries
- Exhibition area
- Networking and social events including partner fringe events 
- Gala dinner announcing the overall winners 
- A tours programme of local architectural landmarks in Singapore

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.