2016 Category Winners have being revealed!

Returning for its ninth edition, and following four successful years in Singapore, the World Festival returns to its European roots and took place in Franz Ahrens' historic 1920s former bus depot, now known as Arena .

WAF sees over 2,000 international architects descend upon its venue Arena Berlin this week. Delegates arriving in the German capital early were treated to a dynamic Pecha Kucha event last night. Hosted by Pecha Kucha founder Mark Dytham, a host of global architects including Simon Allford, Mariana Simas, Fernando Menis and Miquel Adria delivered a series of quick fire talks to hundreds of attendees at Berlin's Glashaus.

The World Architecture Festival aim to showcase the best architecture of the last 12 months. A second group of category winners will be revealed tomorrow.

Read on for the list of today's WAF category winners:

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Mixed-Use Completed Building: Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, Malmö Live, Malmö, Sweden
A project which combines a concert hall, convention centre and hotel and was built in a public-private partnership.
Judges remarked “it's a public building in the best sense of the word: open to anyone, not exclusive and very democratic. It cleverly eliminates the traditional division between front of house and back of housed is an important catalyst of urban regeneration. The architecture is restrained and uncompromising”
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Office – Completed Buildings: The Zig Zag Building, Lynch Architects

It stands out for “addressing its role in the re-making of the city with great skill.” Judges commended the building, on Victoria Street in London, for being “both contextual and critically independent” and said it “proves that a financial speculation can be hernessed to create a better place”.
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New and Old – Completed Building: Tabanlioglu Architects, Beyazit State Library

The design was commended for the “glass boxes for rare books which are elegantly bala need within the historic spaces”, as well as a lighting scheme which enhances the existing historic volumes and spaces without being overwhelming or distracting.
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Production Energy And Recycling – Completed Buildings: , Floating Fields, Shenzhen, China

The Shenzhen project is formed of open – air shallow rectangular partitions some filled with growing fields and others with water on which floated growing boxes. Judges said “the project had a very clear message and was collaborative in nature – involving many diverse stakeholders, taking into consideration the entire life cycle and educating an entire region”
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Housing – Completed Buildings: Babin+Renaud, Aluminium Tip, Paris, France

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House – Completed Buildings:  / Oliver Hernaiz Architecture Lab, House MM, Palma de Mallorca, Spain

House MM delighted judges with its “ compelling and sophisticated form – m aking, which also inter rotates pertinent issues of energy u se and long – term sustainability”. Nestled on a tight sloping site on a hillside in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, the judges said the modern white form of this house “transcends the beauty of the everyday, as well as being an inspiring paradeigm for the art of the possible”

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Display – Completed Buildings: The Waterfront Pavilion by Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp

Strongly connected to its history and context, the structure's form echoes its Wharf setting and the vessels it celebrates. It was judged to have “cleverly borrowed from naval architecture and warehouse construction to create a unique and poetic building”

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Culture – Completed Buildings: National Museum in Szczecin – Robert Konieczny
“a simple solution and great public space made with only one material, pre-cast concrete“
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Schools – Completed Buildings: Grüntuch Ernst Architekten, German School Madrid, Madrid, Spain

The judges praised thearchitects for their design and environmental performance of the complex, which they said combines to “enhance the facilitation of teaching and learning”. The school is the largest civil project of Germany outside of German soil, and opened to pupils in its new premises last October

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Civic and Community – Completed Buildings: Salburua Civic Centre, Vitoria-Gasteiz – Spain, by IDOM 
Abuilding full of “surprising and delightful moments' including an elevated swimming pool and sunken basketball court. With beautifully framed view s, the judges said ‘this remarkable civic building is the clear winner”

 

Yesterday Ben van Berkel, Founder/Principal Architect of UNStudio gave the Festival's opening keynote talk on the topic of ‘Superliving from exclusive to inclusive'. Van Berkel gave his thoughts on the programme theme and hinted at the message he gave in his lecture: “It is essential to understand that ‘housing for everyone' is not simply a matter of providing homes for all, it is also a question of what the home of the future should be; how we can meet the demands of all future residents and provide housing that fulfils their varied and changing needs.”
Paul Finch, Programme Director of the World Architecture Festival, added: “We've assembled an enviable roster of some of the world's most eminent architectural thinkers and thought leaders, who brought their wide – ranging experience to bear for three days of discussion and discourse in Berlin. The provision of housing and residential development is one of the most pertinent and pressing issues faced by societies across the world and we're excited to be convening such a strong list of speakers.”

2nd group of winners here

For more details the World Architecture Festival 2016 Category Winners please visit www.worldarchitecturefestival.com