Leisure Opportunities
Job search
Job Search
see all jobs
Latest job opportunities
Everyone Active
Competitive
Middlesbrough
Heritage Great Britain
c£70,000pa + benefits + relocation support
Isle of Wight
star job
Brentwood School Sports Centre
£32,000 - £34,000pa + pension + benefits
Brentwood, Essex

World Architecture Festival announces 2017 Awards shortlist

Job opportunities
Heritage Great Britain
c£70,000pa + benefits + relocation support
location: Isle of Wight, United Kingdom
more jobs
Clourful architecture makes a strong showing and many of the smaller projects we have shortlisted will punch above their weight
– Paul Finch, WAF programme director

The World Architecture Festival has today (7 July) unveiled the largest ever shortlist for its Building of the Year competition.

WAF – one of the only global design festivals to combine conferences, networking and awards – is holding its tenth anniversary edition from 15-17 November in Berlin, and has celebrated by compiling a 434-strong shortlist for the contest across 18 categories: including Mixed-Use, Housing and Religion.

Leisure architecture will be put under the spotlight at this year’s festival, with the theme of ‘Performance’ central to its programme of seminars and talks. Last year’s World Building of the Year Award went to a leisure building – the National Museum and Dialogue Centre Przelomy, Poland, designed by KWK Promes – and this year’s leisure shortlists are packed with innovative projects.

Heneghan Peng Architects, AL_A, FaulknerBrowns, Schmidt Hammer Lassen, Stanton Williams, Vo Trong Nghia, Mecanoo, Marks Barfield and Heatherwick Studio are among the individuals and studios competing.

All finalists will be invited to present their projects live to judging panels at the festival before the category winners are chosen. Victors from each category will then be considered by a 'super-jury', who will select the World Building of the Year, the Future Project of the Year and the Landscape of the Year.

The main panel will be headed by Robert Ivy, chief executive officer of the American Institute of Architects and former editor of Architectural Record; Nathalie de Vries, director & co-founder of Dutch practice MVRDV; Ian Ritchie, founder of London-based Ian Ritchie Architects; Christoph Ingenhoven, founder of German practice Ingenhoven Architects; and Wong Mun Summ, founder director of Singapore practice WOHA.

The World Architecture Festival Building of the Year
The full leisure category shortlists are below

Completed Buildings

culture

• Tara Theatre, London, United Kingdom, by Aedas

• Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, Lisbon, Portugal, by AL_A

• The Ethno-cultural Centre 'NUMTO', Beloyarsky, Russia, by City-Arch

• Mleiha Archaeological Centre, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, by

• BerKM - Bergama Cultural Center, Bergama, Turkey, by Dabbagh Architects

• The Word, South Shields, United Kingdom, by FaulknerBrowns Architects

• The Palestinian Museum, Birzeit, Palestine, by Heneghan Peng Architects

• Zhao Hua Xi Shi Living Museum, Beijing, China, by IAPA

• ASB Waterfront Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand, by Moller Architects with BVN Architecture

• New Shanghai Theatre, Shanghai, China, by Neri&Hu Design and Research Office

• Vendsyssel Theatre, Hjørring, Denmark, by Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects

• Queen Elisabeth Hall, Antwerp, Belgium, by SimpsonHaugh

• Musée d'arts à Nantes, Nantes, France, by Stanton Williams

• Cultural Centre of Rambouillet, Rambouillet, France, by studioMilou

• Alliance 1892 Cognac Distillery Museum & Warehouse, Chernyakhovsk, Russia, by Totement/Paper

• The Lantern - Nanoco Gallery, Hanoi, Vietnam, by Vo Trong Nghia Architects

Hotel and Leisure

• Artkazal - Reed Apartment, Morahalom, Hungary, by Aergroup Architect Studio

• Jackalope, Melbourne, Australia, by Carr

• Vegetable Trellis, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, by Cong Sinh Architects

• BBK35, Beijing, China, by Laboratory for Diverse Status

• British Airways i360, Brighton, United Kingdom, by Marks Barfield Architects

• Restaurant Brix 0.1, Bressanone, Italy, by Markus Tauber Architectura

• Keukenhof, Lisse, Netherlands, by Mecanoo Architecten

• Tofana, San Cassiano, Italy, by noa*

• Atlas Hotel Hoi An, Hoi An, Vietnam, by Vo Trong Nghia Architects

• Vommuli Island Maldives, Vommuli Island, Maldives, by WOW Architects and Warner Wong Design

Sport

• Royal Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark, by 3XN Architects

• Anna Meares Stadium, Brisbane, Australia, by Cox Architecture

• Willinga Park, Bawley Point, Australia, by Cox Architecture

• Oslo Skatehall, Oslo, Norway, by DARK Arkitekter

• Kennedy Town Swimming Pool, Hong Kong, China, by Farrells

• Tennis Terraces, Santa Ponsa, Spain, by Gras Arquitectos

• US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, United States of America, by HKS

• Lord's Warner Stand, London, United Kingdom, by Populous

Landscape

• Oxygen Park, Doha, Qatar, by AECOM

• Willinga Park, Bawley Point, Australia, by Cox Architecture

• Cleveland & Co, Sydney, Australia, by Dangar Group and Black Beetle

• Noble Ploenchit, Bangkok, Thailand, by IAW

• Yishun Nature Park, Yishun, Singapore, by ONG&ONG

• Garden of the Mind, Berlin, Germany, by P Landscape

• Mapletee Business City II, Singapore, Singapore, by Shma Company

• Bostanli Sea Square, Izmir, Turkey, by Studio Evren Bazbug Architects

• Oasia Downtown Hotel, Singapore, Singapore, by STX Landscape Architects

• Peasants and their Land: The Recovered Archaeological Landscape of Chengtoushan, Lixian County, China, by Turenscape

Future buildings

Culture

• In Natura Veritas, Galicia, Spain, by AGi architects

• Waltzing Matilda Centre, Winton, Australia, by Cox Architecture

• Liget Budapest Museum of Ethnography, Budapest, Hungary, by EAA Emre Arolat Architecture

• A Woman's Gallery: Awakened, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, by Flor de Maria Juarez

• MOCAA, Cape Town, South Africa, by Heatherwick Studio

• Museum of Contemporary Art in Africa, Confidential, by Perkins+Will

• Church of St John the Baptist, Coimbra, Portugal, by Promontorio

• Maritime Museum, Randaberg, Norway, by Rørbæk og Møller Arkitekter

• The Guild, Bengaluru, India, by Sanjay Puri Architects

• The Museum of Military Medicine, Cardiff, United Kingdom, by Scott Brownrigg

• Suzhou Urban Planning Exhibition Hall, Suzhou, China, by Shenzhen Aube Architectural Engineeing Design

• Kulturkorgen - A Basket Full of Culture, Gothenburg, Sweden, by Sweco Architects

• Penguin Parade Visitor Centre, Phillip Island, Australia, by Terroir

• Skellefteå Cultural Centre, Skellefteå, Sweden, by White Arkitekter

• Christchurch Convention and Exhibition Centre, Christchurch, New Zealand, by Woods Bagot

• Lambeth Palace Library, London, United Kingdom, by Wright & Wright Architects

Leisure-Led Development

• Cameroon 2019, Japoma Sports Complex, Douala, Cameroon, by AECOM

• China World Trade Center Phase 3C Development, Beijing, China, by Aedas

• Sydney Fish Markets, Sydney, Australia, by Allen Jack+Cottier Architects

• Kazan Mixed Use, Kazan, Russia, by EAA Emre Arolat Architecture

• Treetop Experience, Haslev, Denmark, by EFFEKT

• Los 13 Cielos, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, by EMC Arquitectura

• Bodrum Golturkbuku Summer Houses, Mugla, Turkey, by Ergino?lu & Çal??lar Architecture

• Minoru Complex, Richmond, Canada, by HCMA Architecture + Design

• Krahm Restaurant, Chiang Rai, Thailand, by Hypothesis

• The Royal Atlantis, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

• Manta Point Skywalk, Bali, Indonesia, by PHL Architects

• Hotel Tulum, Tulum, Mexico, by Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos

• Liepaja Thermal Bath, Liepaja, Latvia, by Steven Christensen Architecture

• Bodrum Loft, Bodrum, Turkey, by Tabanlioglu Architects

• Casino Middelkerke, Middelkerke, Belgium, by Tom Vandorpe

• Skýli, Sweden, by Utopia Arkitekter

Paul Finch, WAF programme director, said: "This year’s shortlist has a hugely diverse geographic range. The use of water has been striking and there is evidence of real interest in climate modifications using novel techniques. Colourful architecture makes a strong showing and many of the smaller projects we have shortlisted will punch above their weight. We look forward to welcoming shortlisted architects to our tenth edition in Berlin this November.”

This year’s festival will also see the publication of a manifesto that identifies the key challenges architects face in the next decade. The intention is to generate research funding, which will be distributed to universities and architectural practices investigating these areas.

Sign up for FREE ezines, news alerts & magazines
Related news

Cultural buildings under the spotlight as World Architecture Festival names 'Performance' as 2017 theme

26 Apr 2017
The World Architecture Festival (WAF) has announced ‘Performance’ as the theme for its tenth anniversary ...

World Architecture Festival launches manifesto addressing industry's biggest challenges

22 Feb 2017
The World Architecture Festival (WAF) is marking its tenth anniversary by publishing a manifesto that ...

Building of the Year architect talks to CLAD about form, function and why public space is vital

16 Jan 2017
Robert Konieczny, the principal of Polish architecture studio KWK Promes, has described how he won ...
The World Architecture Festival has today (7 July) unveiled the largest ever shortlist for its Building of the Year competition.
CLD,AAC,ARC,DES,DEV
THUMB20238_277832.jpg

More News

1 - 15 of 69,691
14 Jul 2026
Everlast Gyms expands its footprint outside of the UK this month with the imminent launch of a club in Dublin. The three-storey destination will feature ... More
14 Jul 2026
The Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) has published a non-regulatory global industry framework designed to ensure the retreat market offers responsible experiences. The Six Principles for ... More
14 Jul 2026
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining ... More
13 Jul 2026
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana Heritage Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines ... More
12 Jul 2026
A new survey of international spa practitioners shows that stress, burnout and wellbeing concerns have caused one in three respondents to consider leaving the industry. ... More
11 Jul 2026
The UK's four Chief Medical Officers have published a refreshed edition of  Physical activity guidelines: UK Chief Medical Officers' report, updating the evidence that underpins ... More
10 Jul 2026
Becky Pelkonen, the sauna advocate and researcher, has unveiled the draft of a global public sauna-bathing charter. The ten guiding principles form the foundation for ... More
10 Jul 2026
Places Leisure has exchanged contracts to build and operate a flagship £60m water and wellness destination on behalf of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. This will ... More
10 Jul 2026
Marriott International has partnered with Fitwel, a healthy building certification system that aims to optimise occupant health.  Marriott has become Fitwel’s first Enterprise Partner and ... More
10 Jul 2026
Anna Bjurstam – who left her role as Wellness Pioneer at Six Senses Hotels and Resorts at the end of June – has launched a ... More
10 Jul 2026
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, has opened today (10 July) near Knutsford in the north-west of England with a 1,715sq m Fairmont Spa that has been ... More
10 Jul 2026
Universal Destinations and Experiences has launched a new regional theme park model with the opening of Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas. The resort is ... More
09 Jul 2026
Wellness hotels generating less than US$1 million (€932,700, £785,200) – or 10 per cent of total revenue from wellness and leisure – recorded the strongest ... More
09 Jul 2026
The Republic of Ireland will become the latest market in PureGym’s expanding international portfolio, with the first launch planned for Dublin in 2027. The move ... More
09 Jul 2026
Lefay Resorts, the portfolio of two luxury wellness properties in Italy, has added emotional dance classes and group cold plunge sessions in response to market ... More
1 - 15 of 69,691