Architecture

WAF highlights the best architecture from around the globe

WAF highlights the best architecture from around the globe
The British-based Smile, by Alison Brooks Architects, is a public pavilion constructed from CLT (cross-laminated timber)
The British-based Smile, by Alison Brooks Architects, is a public pavilion constructed from CLT (cross-laminated timber)
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Urban Rigger, by BIG, is a sustainable floating student housing prototype for students in Copenhagen that it hopes to roll-out elsewhere
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Urban Rigger, by BIG, is a sustainable floating student housing prototype for students in Copenhagen that it hopes to roll-out elsewhere
Brommy New Footbridge, Berlin, Germany by SPANS Assosciates, is a concept for an unusual-looking bridge that promises to offer a meditative walk
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Brommy New Footbridge, Berlin, Germany by SPANS Assosciates, is a concept for an unusual-looking bridge that promises to offer a meditative walk
Shelter on the Edge, Aleppo, Syria by Design and More International, was designed to help plan and improve refugee camps
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Shelter on the Edge, Aleppo, Syria by Design and More International, was designed to help plan and improve refugee camps
Triangle House, Brazil, by Bernardes Arquitetura, consists of four concrete walls and a triangular volume resting atop
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Triangle House, Brazil, by Bernardes Arquitetura, consists of four concrete walls and a triangular volume resting atop
The Salerno Maritime Terminal was the first project designed by Zaha Hadid to be completed following her death
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The Salerno Maritime Terminal was the first project designed by Zaha Hadid to be completed following her death
The Cutting Edge Pharmacy, by Matsuya Art Works and KTX archiLAB, is a beautifully-designed animal pharmacy
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The Cutting Edge Pharmacy, by Matsuya Art Works and KTX archiLAB, is a beautifully-designed animal pharmacy 
The Chapel of St. Benedict and St. Scholastica, Pambujan, Philippines by WTA Architecture and Design Studio, is a small chapel for the worship and prayers of patients at an adjacent hospital
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The Chapel of St. Benedict and St. Scholastica, Pambujan, Philippines by WTA Architecture and Design Studio, is a small chapel for the worship and prayers of patients at an adjacent hospital
Zaha Hadid's Port House is intended to resemble a large glass ship's bow pointing toward the area where Antwerp was founded
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Zaha Hadid's Port House is intended to resemble a large glass ship's bow pointing toward the area where Antwerp was founded
Co-op Kyosai Plaza in Tokyo by Nikken Sekkei features climbing ivy to offer shade and privacy
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Co-op Kyosai Plaza in Tokyo by Nikken Sekkei features climbing ivy to offer shade and privacy
Uufie's renovation of France's famous Printemps department store introduced an impressive new atrium to allowvisitors to see all levels
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Uufie's renovation of France's famous Printemps department store introduced an impressive new atrium to allowvisitors to see all levels 
The Garden of the Mind, Berlin, Germany by P Landscape, is a garden that's meant to reflect the contemporary sense of life in Thailand
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The Garden of the Mind, Berlin, Germany by P Landscape, is a garden that's meant to reflect the contemporary sense of life in Thailand
Vietnam's Vo Trong Nghia Architects designed the Binh House, in Ho Chi Minh City, which keeps three generations of the same family naturally cool using passive design
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Vietnam's Vo Trong Nghia Architects designed the Binh House, in Ho Chi Minh City, which keeps three generations of the same family naturally cool using passive design
Vietnam's Atlas Hotel, by Vo Trong Nghia Architects, is naturally ventilated and covered in greenery
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Vietnam's Atlas Hotel, by Vo Trong Nghia Architects, is naturally ventilated and covered in greenery
The British Airways i360, Brighton, United Kingdom by Marks Barfield Architects, is the world’s tallest moving observation tower
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The British Airways i360, Brighton, United Kingdom by Marks Barfield Architects, is the world’s tallest moving observation tower
Fitzroy Crossing Renal Hostel, Fitzroy Crossing, Australia by Iredale Pedersen HookArchitects, provides a place to live for Aboriginal people with end stage RenalDisease
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Fitzroy Crossing Renal Hostel, Fitzroy Crossing, Australia by Iredale Pedersen HookArchitects, provides a place to live for Aboriginal people with end stage RenalDisease
Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles, United States of America by Kohn Pedersen Fox, showcases the art, experience, culture and heritage of the automobile
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Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles, United States of America by Kohn Pedersen Fox, showcases the art, experience, culture and heritage of the automobile
Zhuhai Opera House, Zhuhai, China by CR Institute of Architectural & Urban Design, is a striking opera house designed to take intoaccount typhoons, heavy rain and other severe weather
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Zhuhai Opera House, Zhuhai, China by CR Institute of Architectural & Urban Design, is a striking opera house designed to take intoaccount typhoons, heavy rain and other severe weather
The British-based Smile, by Alison Brooks Architects, is a public pavilion constructed from CLT (cross-laminated timber)
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The British-based Smile, by Alison Brooks Architects, is a public pavilion constructed from CLT (cross-laminated timber)
The beautiful Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, Lisbon, Portugal by AL_A, is an award-winning museum located on the banks of the Tagus in Belém, Lisbon
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The beautiful Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, Lisbon, Portugal by AL_A, is an award-winning museum located on the banks of the Tagus in Belém, Lisbon
Suzhou Chapel, Suzhou, China, by Neri&Hu Design and Research Office, is a feature building that shimmers in the daylight
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Suzhou Chapel, Suzhou, China, by Neri&Hu Design and Research Office, is a feature building that shimmers in the daylight
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The 2017 World Architecture Festival (WAF) shortlist has been announced. This year's finalists include some fantastic buildings and plenty of variety, from familiar names like BIG and Zaha Hadid to firms that that prove you don't need to be a household name to produce work of a very high caliber.

Now in its 10th year, the WAF is the most global of the mainstream architecture competitions and recent winners have hailed from such varied locations as Australia, Singapore, and Poland. This year's shortlist includes firms from 51 different nations and a total of 434 projects from 68 countries. British firms make up most of the entries, followed by those from the USA, Australia, and Turkey.

Without further ado then, here's our pick of the cream of the crop, but head to the gallery to see a selection of highlights from the competition. We'll be back later in the year with the overall winner.

Urban Rigger - BIG

Urban Rigger, by BIG, is a sustainable floating student housing prototype for students in Copenhagen that it hopes to roll-out elsewhere
Urban Rigger, by BIG, is a sustainable floating student housing prototype for students in Copenhagen that it hopes to roll-out elsewhere

BIG is a firm best known for large-scale luxury projects like NYC's Courtscraper, but when it turns its hand to more modest proposals, the results are just as impressive. The Urban Rigger is a sustainable floating student housing prototype for students in Copenhagen that BIG hopes to roll-out elsewhere.

Comprising nine recycled shipping containers atop a floating base, the Urban Rigger features 680 sq m (7,319 sq ft) of floorspace and includes housing, garden space and other shared areas.

It's topped by a roof terrace and a large solar array, while fancy insulation and heat exchange systems aim to ensure a better heat performance and efficiency than other shipping container-based homes.

Salerno Maritime Terminal – Zaha Hadid Architects

The Salerno Maritime Terminal was the first project designed by Zaha Hadid to be completed following her death
The Salerno Maritime Terminal was the first project designed by Zaha Hadid to be completed following her death

Its famous founder may have passed away, but there's no sign of Zaha Hadid Architects slowing down. The Salerno Maritime Terminal was the first project designed by Hadid to be completed following her death.

Originally designed for an architectural competition in 2000, the oyster-like concrete building is part of an ongoing redevelopment program in the area and comprises three major sections: administration offices, an international terminal, and a terminal for local and regional ferries.

Inside, the building is very impressive and large, with exposed use of angles bringing to mind Hadid's other famous Italian work, the MAXXI.

Binh House - Vo Trong Nghia Architects

Vietnam's Vo Trong Nghia Architects designed the Binh House, in Ho Chi Minh City, which keeps three generations of the same family naturally cool using passive design
Vietnam's Vo Trong Nghia Architects designed the Binh House, in Ho Chi Minh City, which keeps three generations of the same family naturally cool using passive design

Vietnam's Vo Trong Nghia Architects designed the Binh House, in Ho Chi Minh City, to keep three generations of the same family naturally cool using passive design.

Binh House's 233 sq m (2,507 sq ft) of floorspace is spread over three levels, and its layout is designed to give each member of the family privacy, while still providing a visual connection through carefully-considered sight lines. The interior layout puts service areas like the kitchen, bathrooms, stairs, and the like, in the west of the home, so the living room, dining room and bedrooms are kept further away from the sun, and thus cooler.

Binh House's greenery also shades the home and its layout encourages natural ventilation. The generous outside areas include a fruit tree garden, terraced vegetable garden, and a garden terrace next to the home's library, in addition to an internal garden in the living room, plus yet another garden in a small courtyard area.

Source: WAF

View gallery - 20 images
2 comments
2 comments
KaiserPingo
If this shows global architectural talents, then I'm not impressed. Apart from Petersen Automotive Museum, and maybe the Urban Rigger from Copenhagen, its just to un-innovative and visually boring or downright ugly.
Fairly Reasoner
The best, eh?