World Architecture Festival announces shortlist

Daniel Libeskind's Reflections at Keppel Bay in Singapore. Photo courtesy of Keppel Bay Pte Ltd

Coop Himmelb(l)au's Busan Cincema Center in South Korea. Photo by Nathan Willock

Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg's CIGI Campus in Waterloo, Ontario. Photo by Maris Mezulis

Studio MK27's V4 House in Brazil

Highlights from the 300 buildings vying for the title of World Building of the Year.

The program celebrates a slew of projects from around the globe. This October in Singapore, WAF will hand out more than two dozen accolades to structures deemed the best by a star-studded jury that includes Moshe Safdie and Ben van Berkel. All shortlisted projects – including a handful of Canadian builds – vie for the ultimate prize, World Building of the Year.

In 23 categories highlighting built and future concepts, nominees include Coop Himmelb(l)au‘s monolithic Busan Cinema Center in South Korea; Daniel Libeskind‘s Relections at Keppel Bay housing complex (a super-green project highlighted in Azure’s May 2012 Green Guide); Xten Architecture‘s palatial Hollywood hills home; Sturgess Architecture‘s transit renewal project in Calgary; Li Xiaodong‘s timber-clad Liyuan Libraryjust outside of Beijing; and Studio MK27′s V4 House in Brazil, which recently nabbed an AZ AWARD for best residential interior.

Multiple nominees include Denmark’s 3XN and Istanbul’s Emre Arolat Architects; each received nods for five international projects. As well, Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg,Wilkinson Eyre Architects and Perkins + Will were among several firms shortlisted for two projects. 5468796 Architecture, the firm representing Canada at the upcoming Venice Architecture Biennale, also made the cut with two projects in Winnipeg. A completed condo and proposed commercial tower have been shortlisted. (Look for the profile on 5468796 Architecture in our October issue.)

For the entire shortlist, visit worldarchitecturefestival.com.