More than 780 projects were entered into the 2025 World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards, with 460 making the shortlist – including 36 based in Australia.
The awards program recognises projects across four overarching categories: Completed Buildings, Future Projects, Interiors and Landscape, each encompassing a range of sub-categories.
Within this year’s shortlist, practices from America are the most highly represented, with China, UK, Australia, India, Canada, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Japan also in the top ten.
Shortlisted entrants will present to juries at the World Architecture Festival, taking place at the Miami Beach Convention Center from 12 to 14 November. Category winners will be considered for World Building of the Year, World Landscape of the Year and Future Project of the Year Awards.
Darlington Public School by FJC Studio in Sydney won the 2024 World Building of the Year. “The result of the project is poetic, a building in which topography and landscape, inside and outside, form and materials flow seamlessly in an unexpectedly delightful way,” said Paul Finch, the programme director of WAF.
The shortlisted Australian projects for 2025 are as follows:
Completed Buildings
Civic and Community
Blacktown Exercise and Sports Technology Hub – ARM Architecture
Guulabaa – Place of Koala – Gensler
Pyrmont Community Centre – Welsh and Major
Yarrila Place – BVN
Creative Reuse
Brewery Yard, Stage 2 – Tzannes
Reddam House North Shore – AJC Architects
Rosebery Engine Yards – Group GSA
Younghusband – Woods Bagot
Culture
Yellamundie Library – FJC Studio
Health
Canberra Hospital Expansion – BVN
Higher Education and Research
Flinders University Health and Medical Research Building – Architectus
Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence – ARM Architecture
University of Queensland Soundshell – Kirk Studio
Housing
One Sydney Harbour – Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Mixed-use
25 Martin Place Retail Development – Woods Bagot
388 George Street – FJC Studio
Martin Place Metro Precinct – Grimshaw, Tzannes and JPW
The Pump House – MHN Design Union and Fieldwork
Office
Brewery Yard, Stage 2 – Tzannes
Retrofit
Sirius Redevelopment – BVN
Sport
Blacktown Exercise and Sports Technology Hub – ARM Architecture
Carnegie Memorial Swimming Pool – Co.Op Studio
Transport
Central Station – Woods Bagot in collaboration with John McAslan and Partners
Sydney Metro Martin Place Station – Grimshaw
Future Projects
Education
AMRF Second Building – Architectus in collaboration with Aileen Sage Architects and Jacobs
The Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness – New Wing Extension – HDR
Sport
Macquarie Point Multipurpose Stadium – Cox Architecture in association with Cumulus Studio
Interiors
Bars and Restaurants
Prefecture 48 – Bates Smart
The International – Woods Bagot
Hotels
Journey Beyond – Woods Bagot
Residential (Single Dwelling)
Eaglemont Modern House – Sky Architect Studio
Palmerston Street House – Robert Simeoni Architects
Shell House – Madeleine Blanchfield Architects
Veil – Madeleine Blanchfield Architects
Workplace (Large)
JLL Melbourne – JLL Design
Macquarie Group Global Headquarters workplace design – Architectus, Cox Architecture and Hecker Guthrie
To view the full shortlist, visit the WAF website.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
