The most bold, beautiful and innovative architectural projects were announced at the World Architecture Festival 2023 — held at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore from 29 November to 1 December 2023.
World Building of the Year — Huizhen High School
World Building of the Year supported by GROHE was awarded to Huizhen High School by Approach Design Studio/Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group in China.
The boarding school campus is a ‘floating forest’ with classrooms hung in each corner of the forest and joined by meandering paths.
World Interior of the Year — 19 Waterloo Street
World Interior of the Year supported by Miele was awarded to 19 Waterloo Street by SJB in Australia.
Originally shortlisted in the Residential (Single Dwelling) Category, the winning interior utilises expanded connections creatively within a limited footprint to create an open and quiet oasis in the city.
Future Project of the Year — The Probiotic Tower
Future Project of the Year supported by ABB went to The Probiotic Tower by Design and More International in Egypt.
The project was initially selected from the Experimental category.
The Probiotic Tower’s central proposition is to repurpose obsolete water towers to positively address climate change as an adaptive system for cities, particularly in the developing world.
Landscape of the Year — Benjakitti Forest Park: Transforming a Brownfield into an Urban Ecological Sanctuary
Landscape of the Year went to Benjakitti Forest Park: Transforming a Brownfield into an Urban Ecological Sanctuary by TURENSCAPE, Arsomsilp Community and Environmental Architect in Thailand
- The winning Landscape project transforms a former tobacco factory into a resilient living ecosystem, which is now the largest public recreational space in downtown Bangkok.
- The project reduces the destructive force of stormwater, filters contaminated water, and provides much-needed wildlife habitat in a region experiencing monsoon climates with an average yearly precipitation of about 1500mm.
Special Prizes
The Visualisation Prize, supported by Lumion: The Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation by Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design in United States
- Hillcrest Rose Bay, Sydney by Woods Bagot in Australia was highly commended
The Futureglass Prize, supported by Aestech: 55 Pitt Street by Woods Bagot and SHoP Architects in Australia
- Fisher and Paykel Global Headquarters by RTA Studio in New Zealand was also highly commended in the Futureglass Prize
Best use of Natural Light, supported by VELUX: See Sea Park by Osamu Morishita Architect and Associates in Japan.
International Building Beauty Prize, supported by Royal Fine Art Commission Trust and Ballymore**: Angsila Oyster Scaffolding Pavilion** by Chat Architects in Thailand
- CAPITASPRING by BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group in Singapore was also highly commended in the International Building Beauty Prize
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
WAFX Prize — Rethinking Oil Rigs – Offshore Data Centres
The winning project was Rethinking Oil Rigs – Offshore Data Centres by Arup in United Kingdom.
The project rethinks oil rig structures as data centres giving them a new function in the fast-expanding circular economy.