WAF 2023: the winners announced

By Editorial Staff - 1 December 2023

The winners have been announced of the World Architecture Festival 2023, an international event that celebrates the best buildings, landscape designs, and interiors of the year, along with the most innovative architecture around the world. The last three days of this autumn’s WAF, November 29 – December 1 in Singapore, includes a busy program of talks, conferences, and panel discussions.

The theme of WAF 2023 is “Catalyst,” an invitation to reflect on how architecture and design can be catalysts for positive change, since they enable, accelerate, and inspire interaction with the built environment. The setting for the event is the fascinating Marina Bay Sands, a resort overlooking Singapore Bay, where the festival has returned eight years after the last time the Asian city hosted the event in 2015.

Battersea Power Station Phase Two by WilkinsonEyre © Peter Landers, courtesy WAF

On the first day of the WAF (Wednesday, November 29), hundreds of projects were presented live. The day closed with an awards ceremony for the first group of winners. Another group of winners was announced the day after, bringing the total awards to 44 – that is, the number of competition categories. These included Completed Projects and Future Projects. A third group, Inside, includes interior design projects, with the Inside World Festival of Interiors held parallel to the WAF.

On the last day of the event (Friday, December 1), four overall winners have been announced from among all the winners in all the categories: World Building of the Year, Future Project of the Year, Interior of the Year, and Landscape of the Year. The overall winners have been proclaimed at a grand finale Gala Dinner at Marina Bay Sands, along with the Special Prizes.

547 West 47th Street by Concrete Amsterdam © Raimund Koch, courtesy WAF

World Architecture Festival 2023

The WAF 2023 international jury is made up of over 140 industry experts from 43 countries. Some of the biggest names are Lily Jencks, Nigel Coates, Rafiq Azam, Albert Williamson-Taylor, Tracy Meller, Jason Bruges, Annette Fisher, Roland Schnizer, and Issa Diabaté. The 44 winning projects were chosen by the jury from 495 shortlisted projects submitted by 333 architecture firms from around the world, which in turn were selected from over 800 candidates. The jury also awarded 20 honorable mentions.

Santa Maria Goretti Church by Mario Cucinella Architects © Duccio Malagamba, courtesy WAF

Besides the announcement of the winners and the awards ceremony, WAF 2023 includes a series of conferences and round tables with 76 speakers. Reflecting the “Catalyst” theme, these sessions focus on the role of architecture in catalyzing important changes that can positively influence the environment and people’s lives. The event program also includes numerous parallel events throughout the city, including an exhibition by architect Mario Cucinella with the title The Future Is a Journey to the Past, presented by MC A Architects in partnership with the firm Gessi. The exhibition, which can be visited throughout the three final days, examines the evolution of ecological awareness, from prehistory to today.

Other special events planned under the WAF umbrella include The Architecture Drawing Prize, a prize that celebrates the art of architectural drawing, created with the Sir John Soane’s Museum, London, and Make Architects, and sponsored by the Ceramica Group.

Quzhou Stadium by MAD Architects © CreatAR Images, courtesy WAF

Overall Winners and Special Prizes of WAF 2023

OVERALL WINNERS

World Building of the Year: Huizhen High School by Approach Design Studio/Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group in China
Future Project of the Year: The Probiotic Tower by Design and More International in Egypt
Interior of the Year: 19 Waterloo Street by SJB in Australia
Landscape of the Year: Benjakitti Forest Park: Transforming a Brownfield into an Urban Ecological Sanctuary by TURENSCAPE, Arsomsilp Community and Environmental Architect in Thailand

Huizhen High School by Approach Design Studio - Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group Courtesy WAF

SPECIAL PRIZES

The Visualisation Prize: The Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation by Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design in United States
The Futureglass Prize: 55 Pitt Street by Woods Bagot and SHoP Architects in Australia
Best use of Natural Light: See Sea Park by Osamu Morishita Architect and Associates in Japan.
International Building Beauty Prize: Angsila Oyster Scaffolding Pavilion by Chat Architects in Thailand
The GROHE Water Prize: Micro Colony by UArchitects / Misak Terzibasiyan in Bangladesh
Best Use of Colour: Turrell Pavilion by Studio MK27 in the Maldives
Small Project of the Year: Karuizawa Commongrounds Bookstore by Klein Dytham architecture in Japan

Benjakitti Forest Park: Transforming a Brownfield into an Urban Ecological Sanctuary by TURENSCAPE, Arsomsilp Community and Environmental Architect in Thailand © Turenscape & Arsom Silp Community, courtesy WAF

All winners of International Architectural Awards

COMPLETED BUILDINGS

Civic and Community: Taiwan - Reyhanli Centre for World Citizens by Chen-Yu Chiu and the team of Studio Cho in Turkey
Creative Re-use: Kaomai Museums and Tea Barn by PAVA architects in Thailand
Culture: Ravenscar House by Patterson Associates Architects in New Zealand
Display: Turrell Pavilion by Studio MK27 in the Maldives
House and Villa: Veil House by 5468796 Architecture in Canada
Housing: 547 West 47th Street - The West Residential by concrete Amsterdam in USA
Office: Surat Diamond Bourse by Morphogenesis in India
Production, Energy and Logistics: The Courtyard CCR LAB by Sanjay Puri Architects in India
School: Huizhen High School by Approach Design Studio/Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group in China
Sport: Quzhou Stadium by MAD Architects in China
Health: Victorian Heart Hospital by Conrad Gargett (now merged with Architectus) + Wardle in Australia
Religion: Santa Maria Goretti Church by Mario Cucinella Architects in Italy
Higher Education & Research: Boola Katitjin by Lyons with Silver Thomas Hanley, Officer Woods, The Fulcrum Agency and Aspect Studios in Australia
Hotel & Leisure: Lanserhof Sylt by ingenhoven associates in Germany
Mixed-Use: Battersea Power Station Phase Two by WilkinsonEyre in United Kingdom
Retrofit: Vast Gallery & Artist Residency by Persian Garden Studio in Iran
Shopping: Shanghai Suhe MixC World by Kokaistudios in China
Transport: Elizabeth Line by Grimshaw in the United Kingdom

Shenzen Airport East Integrated Transport Hub by Grimshaw © Grimshaw, courtesy WAF

FUTURE PROJECTS

Civic: Border Village Community Center by Nextoffice, Studio of Architectural Research & Design in Iran
Infrastructure: Shenzhen Airport East Integrated Transport Hub by Grimshaw in China
Leisure-led Development: Shiraz Cultural and Recreational Complex: The Thickened Earth by Nextoffice, Studio of Architectural Research & Design in Iran
Masterplanning: Green City Kigali by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios in Rwanda
Office: United Nations International Office of Migration by Sharon Davis Design, NOMOS, Marvel Design and Buro Happold in Switzerland
Competition Entries: Hormuz Eco Resort by Nextoffice, Studio of Architectural Research & Design in Iran
Commercial Mixed-Use: Belgrove House by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris in the United Kingdom
Culture: Osaka Pavilion by StudioMK27 in Japan
Education: Resource Recovery Learning Centre by TERROIR in Australia
Experimental: The Probiotic Tower, Cairo by Design and More International in Egypt
Health: Alexandria Health Centre by Warren and Mahoney in Australia
House: Digging for light (Ganats villa) by Kalbod Studio in Iran
Residential: Kuzeh Valley by FMZD in Iran

Royal Tulip Warsaw Apartments by Tremend Sp. z o.o. © Piotr Gesicki, courtesy WAF

INSIDE

Health and Fitness: Murrenda Residential Aged Care Home by STH in Australia
Hotels: Royal Tulip Warsaw Apartments by Tremend Sp. z o.o. in Poland
Workplace (Large): M&C Saatchi by Woods Bagot in Australia
Workplace (Small): Link Lab creative offices by Stay - Markland - Link Lab in Belgium
Bars & Restaurants: Sage by Office AIO in China
Education: Center for Computing & Data Sciences at Boston University by KPMB Architects in the USA
Public Buildings: V&A Photography Centre by Gibson Thornley Architects in United Kingdom
Residential (Housing, more than one dwelling), sponsored by Miele: Residence with art museum & depot U40 by TRIMONIS architects in Lithuania
Residential (Single Dwelling): 19 Waterloo Street by SJB in Australia
Retail: Bijou Shop in Tehran Grand Bazaar by Nextoffice, Studio of Architectural Research & Design in Iran
Temporary/Meanwhile Use: Eucalyptusdom by SJB in collaboration with Richard Leplastrier AO and Vania Contreras in Australia