Sono stati annunciati i vincitori del World Architecture Festival 2023, l'evento internazionale che celebra i migliori edifici, paesaggi e interni dell'anno, e le opere di architettura più innovative a livello globale. La tre giorni finale del WAF questo autunno si svolge dal 29 novembre all'1 dicembre a Singapore, con un ricco programma di talk, conferenze e panel discussion.
Il tema del WAF 2023 è Catalyst, un invito a riflettere su come l'architettura e il design possano essere catalizzatori di cambiamenti positivi, poiché possono consentire, accelerare o ispirare le interazioni nell'ambiente costruito. La location è quella del suggestivo resort Marina Bay Sands, affacciato sulla Baia di Singapore, dove il festival torna a otto anni di distanza dall'ultima volta che la città asiatica ospitò l'evento, nel 2015.

Al termine della prima giornata del WAF, mercoledì 29 novembre, durante la quale centinaia di progetti sono stati presentati dal vivo, si è tenuta la premiazione di un primo gruppo di vincitori. Giovedì 30 novembre è stata poi annunciata un'altra serie di vincitori, portando il totale a 44 premi, pari al numero di categorie dal contest, che comprendono gli edifici già realizzati (Completed Projects) e quelli ancora da realizzare (Future Projects), oltre ai progetti di interior design (Inside). Negli stessi giorni del WAF, infatti, si tiene anche l’Inside World Festival of Interiors, l'evento parallelo dedicato agli interni.
Nella giornata finale dell’evento, venerdì 1 dicembre, su tutti i vincitori nelle diverse categorie sono stati decretati quattro premi globali: World Building of the Year, Future Project of the Year, Interior of the Year e Landscape of the Year. Gli overall winners sono stati proclamati durante la cena di gala al Marina Bay Sands insieme agli Special Prizes.

Il World Architecture Festival 2023
La giuria internazionale del WAF 2023 è composta da oltre 140 esperti del settore in rappresentanza di 43 Paesi. Tra i nomi più rilvanti, Lily Jencks, Nigel Coates, Rafiq Azam, Albert Williamson-Taylor, Tracy Meller, Jason Bruges, Annette Fisher, Roland Schnizer e Issa Diabaté. I 44 progetti vincitori sono stati decretati dalla giuria a partire da una rosa di 495 progetti shortlisted, presentati da 333 studi di architettura provenienti da tutto il mondo (scelti tra gli oltre 800 candidati). La giuria ha inoltre assegnato 20 menzioni d'onore.

Oltre all'annuncio e alla premiazione dei vincitori, il WAF 2023 prevede una serie di conferenze e tavole rotonde, nelle quali interverranno 76 speaker. In linea con il tema Catalyst, gli incontri vertono sul ruolo dell’architettura nel catalizzare importanti cambiamenti in grado di influenzare positivamente l’ambiente e la vita delle persone. Il programma dell'evento prevede inoltre numerosi eventi collaterali in tutta la città, tra cui una mostra dell’architetto Mario Cucinella, dal titolo The Future is a Journey to The Past, promossa da MC A Architects in partnership con l'azienda Gessi. L’esposizione, visitabile nel corso di tutta la tre giorni, ruota intorno all'evoluzione della consapevolezza ecologica, dalla preistoria a oggi.
Tra le iniziative previste nell'ambito del WAF c'è anche The Architecture Drawing Prize, il premio che celebra l'arte del disegno architettonico, ideato insieme al Sir John Soane’s Museum di Londra e allo studio Make Architects, e sponsorizzato da Iris Ceramica Group.

Gli Overall Winners e gli Special Prizes del WAF 2023
OVERALL WINNERS
- World Building of the Year: Huizhen High School by Approach Design Studio/Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group in China
- Future Project of the Year: The Probiotic Tower by Design and More International in Egypt
- Interior of the Year: 19 Waterloo Street by SJB in Australia
- Landscape of the Year: Benjakitti Forest Park: Transforming a Brownfield into an Urban Ecological Sanctuary by TURENSCAPE, Arsomsilp Community and Environmental Architect in Thailand

SPECIAL PRIZES
- The Visualisation Prize: The Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation by Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design in United States
- The Futureglass Prize: 55 Pitt Street by Woods Bagot and SHoP Architects in Australia
- Best use of Natural Light: See Sea Park by Osamu Morishita Architect and Associates in Japan.
- International Building Beauty Prize: Angsila Oyster Scaffolding Pavilion by Chat Architects in Thailand
- 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

Tutti i vincitori del WAF 2023
COMPLETED BUILDINGS
- Civic and Community: Taiwan - Reyhanli Centre for World Citizens by Chen-Yu Chiu and the team of Studio Cho in Turkey
- Creative Re-use: Kaomai Museums and Tea Barn by PAVA architects in Thailand
- Culture: Ravenscar House by Patterson Associates Architects in New Zealand
- Display: Turrell Pavilion by Studio MK27 in the Maldives
- House and Villa: Veil House by 5468796 Architecture in Canada
- Housing: 547 West 47th Street - The West Residential by concrete Amsterdam in USA
- Office: Surat Diamond Bourse by Morphogenesis in India
- Production, Energy and Logistics: The Courtyard CCR LAB by Sanjay Puri Architects in India
- School: Huizhen High School by Approach Design Studio/Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group in China
- Sport: Quzhou Stadium by MAD Architects in China
- Health: Victorian Heart Hospital by Conrad Gargett (now merged with Architectus) + Wardle in Australia
- Religion: Santa Maria Goretti Church by Mario Cucinella Architects in Italy
- Higher Education & Research: Boola Katitjin by Lyons with Silver Thomas Hanley, Officer Woods, The Fulcrum Agency and Aspect Studios in Australia
- Hotel & Leisure: Lanserhof Sylt by ingenhoven associates in Germany
- Mixed-Use: Battersea Power Station Phase Two by WilkinsonEyre in United Kingdom
- Retrofit: Vast Gallery & Artist Residency by Persian Garden Studio in Iran
- Shopping: Shanghai Suhe MixC World by Kokaistudios in China
- Transport: Elizabeth Line by Grimshaw in the United Kingdom

FUTURE PROJECTS
- Civic: Border Village Community Center by Nextoffice, Studio of Architectural Research & Design in Iran
- Infrastructure: Shenzhen Airport East Integrated Transport Hub by Grimshaw in China
- Leisure-led Development: Shiraz Cultural and Recreational Complex: The Thickened Earth by Nextoffice, Studio of Architectural Research & Design in Iran
- Masterplanning: Green City Kigali by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios in Rwanda
- Office: United Nations International Office of Migration by Sharon Davis Design, NOMOS, Marvel Design and Buro Happold in Switzerland
- Competition Entries: Hormuz Eco Resort by Nextoffice, Studio of Architectural Research & Design in Iran
- Commercial Mixed-Use: Belgrove House by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris in the United Kingdom
- Culture: Osaka Pavilion by StudioMK27 in Japan
- Education: Resource Recovery Learning Centre by TERROIR in Australia
- Experimental: The Probiotic Tower, Cairo by Design and More International in Egypt
- Health: Alexandria Health Centre by Warren and Mahoney in Australia
- House: Digging for light (Ganats villa) by Kalbod Studio in Iran
- Residential: Kuzeh Valley by FMZD in Iran

INSIDE
- Health and Fitness: Murrenda Residential Aged Care Home by STH in Australia
- Hotels: Royal Tulip Warsaw Apartments by Tremend Sp. z o.o. in Poland
- Workplace (Large): M&C Saatchi by Woods Bagot in Australia
- Workplace (Small): Link Lab creative offices by Stay - Markland - Link Lab in Belgium
- Bars & Restaurants: Sage by Office AIO in China
- Education: Center for Computing & Data Sciences at Boston University by KPMB Architects in the USA
- Public Buildings: V&A Photography Centre by Gibson Thornley Architects in United Kingdom
- Residential (Housing, more than one dwelling), sponsored by Miele: Residence with art museum & depot U40 by TRIMONIS architects in Lithuania
- Residential (Single Dwelling): 19 Waterloo Street by SJB in Australia
- Retail: Bijou Shop in Tehran Grand Bazaar by Nextoffice, Studio of Architectural Research & Design in Iran
- Temporary/Meanwhile Use: Eucalyptusdom by SJB in collaboration with Richard Leplastrier AO and Vania Contreras in Australia
>>> Scopri anche i vincitori del premio The Architecture Drawing Prize
Benjakitti Forest Park: Transforming a Brownfield into an Urban Ecological Sanctuary by TURENSCAPE, Arsomsilp Community and Environmental Architect in Thailand
© Turenscape & Arsom Silp Community, courtesy WAF
547 West 47th Street by Concrete Amsterdam
© Raimund Koch, courtesy WAF
Huizhen High School by Approach Design Studio - Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group
Courtesy WAF
Kaomai Museums and Tea Barn by PAVA architects
© Spaceshift Studio, courtesy WAF
Quzhou Stadium by MAD Architects
© CreatAR Images, courtesy WAF
Ravenscar House by Patterson Associates Architects
© Johannes van Kan, courtesy WAF
Surat Diamond Bourse by Morphogenesis
© Edmund Sumner, courtesy WAF
Taiwan - Reyhanli Centre for World Citizens by Chen-Yu Chiu and the team of Studio Cho
© Taiwan - Reyhanli Centre for World Citizens, courtesy WAF
The Courtyard CCR LAB by Sanjay Puri Architects
© Dinesh Mehta, courtesy WAF
Turrell Pavilion by Studio MK27
© Fernando Guerra, courtesy WAF
Veil House by 5468796 Architecture
© James Brittain, courtesy WAF
Border Village Community Center by Nextoffice, Studio of Architectural Research and Design
© Nextoffice, courtesy WAF
Green City Kigali by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios
© FCBStudios, courtesy WAF
Hormuz Eco Resort by Nextoffice, Studio of Architectural Research and Design
© Nextoffice, courtesy WAF
Shenzen Airport East Integrated Transport Hub by Grimshaw
© Grimshaw, courtesy WAF
Shiraz Cultural and Recreational Complex by Nextoffice, Studio of Architectural Research and Design
© Nextoffice, courtesy WAF
United Nations International Office of Migration by Sharon Davis Design, NOMOS, Marvel Design, Buro Happold
Courtesy WAF
Link Lab creative offices by Stay - Markland - Link Lab
© Cafeine, courtesy WAF
M_C Saatchi by Woods Bagot
© Nicole England, courtesy WAF
Murrenda Residential Aged Care Home by STH
© Chris Matterson, courtesy WAF
Royal Tulip Warsaw Apartments by Tremend Sp. z o.o.
© Piotr Gesicki, courtesy WAF
Victorian Heart Hospital by Conrad Gargett (now merged with Architectus) + Wardle
© Peter Bennetts, courtesy WAF
Vast Gallery & Artist Residency by Persian Garden Studio
© DEED STUDIO
Shanghai Suhe MixC World by Kokaistudios
© Terrence Zhang, courtesy WAF
Santa Maria Goretti Church by Mario Cucinella Architects
© Duccio Malagamba, courtesy WAF
Lanserhof Sylt by ingenhoven associates
© HGEsch, courtesy WAF
Elizabeth Line by Grimshaw
© Hufton Crow, courtesy WAF
Battersea Power Station Phase Two by WilkinsonEyre
© Peter Landers, courtesy WAF
Boola Katitjin by Lyons with Silver Thomas Hanley, Officer Woods, The Fulcrum Agency and Aspect Studios
© John Gollings, courtesy WAF
The Probiotic Tower by Design and more international
© Karim Mousa - Founder and art director of Mozses, courtesy WAF
Resource Recovery Learning Centre by TERROIR
Courtesy WAF
Osaka Pavilion by Studio MK27
© BLACKHAUS STUDIO, courtesy WAF
Kuzeh Valley by FMZD
Courtesy WAF
DIGGING FOR LIGHT (Ganats villa) by Kalbod Studio
Courtesy WAF
Belgrove House by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
© AHMM, courtesy WAF
Alexandria Health Centre by Warren and Mahoney
© Warren and Mahoney, courtesy WAF
V&A Photography Centre by Gibson Thornley Architects
© Thomas Adank, courtesy WAF
Sage by Office AIO
© Wen Studio, courtesy WAF
Residence with art museum & depot U40 by TRIMONIS architects
© Leonas Garbaciauskas, courtesy WAF
Eucalyptusdom by SJB in collaboration with Richard Leplastrier AO and Vania Contreras
© Zan Wimberly, courtesy WAF
Center for Computing & Data Sciences at Boston University by KPMB Architects
© Tom Arban, courtesy WAF
Bijou Shop in Tehran Grand Bazaar by Nextoffice, Studio of Architectural Research & Design
© Parham Taghioff, courtesy WAF
19 Waterloo Street by SJB
© Anson Smart, courtesy WAF
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Cover image: photo by Diego Delso / Wikimedia Commons, License CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
Images in the gallery: courtesy of WAF