The World Architecture Festival (WAF) 2025 marks a bold return this time to Miami Beach, hosting the event in the U.S. for the first time ever. As the global stage for architectural excellence, WAF draws attention to the people, processes, and ideas driving the future of the built environment. This year’s theme, “Hearts & Minds,” explores how emotion and intellect intersect in design, challenging architects to build functionally and meaningfully.
The WAF 2025 is widely recognized as one of the most prestigious international architecture festivals. It features a live‑judged awards programme in which every shortlisted project is presented in person to a jury of experts across 45 competitive categories, ranging from completed buildings and interiors to future projects and landscape design.
This year’s shortlist represents over 460 outstanding projects, selected from more than 780 global entries. It includes 235 completed buildings, 157 future projects, 64 interiors, and 12 landscape designs. Notable names like Bjarke Ingels Group, Foster + Partners, Studio Gang, Grimshaw, and Nikken Sekkei appear alongside emerging studios. US‑based practices make up the largest share of entries, with strong representation from China, the UK, Australia, India, Canada, Singapore, the UAE, Turkey, and Japan.
Shortlisted finalists will present their work live in critique rooms before a panel of 164 international judges representing 37 countries. Winners in each category will go on to vie for overall titles such as World Building of the Year, Future Project of the Year, Interior of the Year, and Landscape of the Year, with additional Special Prizes awarded for excellence in areas such as natural light, sustainability, colour, and more.
Selected Projects from the World Architecture Festival 2025 Shortlist
1. Populus
- Architect: Studio Gang
- Location: Denver, United States
- Category: Hotel and Leisure
2. Seoul Robot & AI Museum
- Architects: Melike Altınışık Architects (MAA) with WITHWORKS
- Location: Seoul, South Korea
- Category: Cultural / Museum
3. Fenix I
- Architects: Mei architects and planners (original warehouse by C. N.)
- Location: Rijnhaven, Katendrecht district, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Category: Adaptive Reuse / Residential
4. Courtyard 35 – Hutong Cloudscape
- Architects: WAY Studio
- Location: Beijing, China
- Category: Renovation / Mixed-Use
5. Chicken Hero Pavilion
- Architects: RAD+ar (Research Artistic Design + architecture)
- Location: Jakarta, Indonesia (Urban Forest)
- Category: Pavilion / Community & Sustainability
6. Netherlands Pavilion – Expo 2025 Osaka
- Architects: RAU Architects (design) with consortium AND BV (construction)
- Location: Osaka, Japan (Expo site)
- Category: Expo Pavilion
7. Gelephu International Airport
- Architects: Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), with Arup, Cistri, NACO
- Location: Gelephu, Bhutan (near Indian border)
- Category: Infrastructure / Airport
8. Hindu Heritage Experience Centre (The JKP Museum)
- Architects: Arup Associates (structural/digital), Leighton Asia (construction)
- Location: Bhakti Dham, Mangarh, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Category: Cultural / Spiritual Centre & Museum
9. The Park
- Architect: EAA-Emre Arolat Architecture
- Location: Medina, Saudi Arabia
- Category: Commercial mixed-use
10. Arena León
- Architect: HKS Architects
- Location: Leon, Mexico
- Category: Sport
11. LANTERN
- Architect: UArchitects / Misak Terzibasiyan
- Location: Almere, Netherlands
- Category: Experimental
12. Wuhan Snow World
- Architect: CLOU architects
- Location: Wuhan, China
- Category: Shopping
13. Sauska Tokaj
- Architect: BORD Architectural Studio
- Location: Rátka, Tokaj-Hegyalja Wine Region, Hungary
- Category: Production energy and Logistics
14. Habitat Qinhuangdao
- Architect: Safdie Architects
- Location: Qinhuangdao, China
- Category: Production energy and Logistics
15. Expo Cultural Park Greenhouse Garden China
- Architect: Delugan Meissl Associated Architects
- Location: Shanghai, China
- Category: Creative Re-use
For a full run-down of the shortlist and more about the story behind WAF 2025, explore: WorldArchitectureFestival2025 – Shortlist 2025
