Thailand, Indonesia Shine in WAF 2023 Special Prize Shortlists

Four projects by ASEAN studios have made their mark in the WAF 2023 Special Prizes categories. Thailand, a seasoned WAF participant, boasts three projects on the shortlist: Angsila Oyster Scaffolding Pavilion by previous WAF shortlisted firm CHAT Architects and Kaomai Museums and Tea Barn by PAVA Architects. These projects are contenders for the International Building Beauty Prize and the Small Project of the Year Prize, respectively. Thailand’s all(zone) joins the Special Prize shortlist under the Best Use of Color with their fiery number for the MPavilion in Melbourne. Indonesia’s Bamboo Dome for the G20 Bali Summit by Biroe, meanwhile vies for the Small Project of the Year plum.

Thai architectural prowess shines through with a remarkable 20 shortlist placements by Thai practices at the WAF this year, while Indonesia takes a significant leap in presence with 7 shortlist placements. They stand alongside other ASEAN nations such as Singapore (20 placements by SG firms), The Philippines (which boasts 12 shortlist placements, its highest ever, with one WAFX win in the bag), Vietnam, Cambodia, and Malaysia, collectively contributing to the festival’s tapestry of global talent.

The finalists are set to take the stage at Marina Bay Sands on November 31 to December 1, 2023 in Singapore, where they will showcase their brilliance before a distinguished panel of expert judges and peers, including industry luminaries. The climax of this creative competition will unfold at the Gala Dinner, where the ultimate winners of each prize will be unveiled.

These coveted special prizes recognize exceptional contributions to the architectural landscape. Projects that have entered the main WAF awards are automatically eligible for consideration, without any additional fees.

The full shortlist with award descriptions follow. The original release can be found here:

The Futureglass Prize

The Futureglass Prize recognizes projects that showcase innovative use of glass and glass technology.

The Dockside Resort & Marina by Architects’ Studio

585 Kendall by CBT

Wuxi Taihu Bay International Cultural Arts Center by Perkins Eastman/Pfeiffer Studio

Fisher and Paykel Global Headquarters by RTA Studio

55 Pitt Street by Woods Bagot and SHoP Architects

The Forest by Sanjay Puri Architects

Taikoo Green Ribbon by ARUP

International Building Beauty Prize

The International Building Beauty Prize is for buildings that uplift the spirits, with finalists chosen from completed building projects.

Oman Across Ages Museum by COX Architecture

Turrell Pavilion by Studio MK27

Casa Ward by Carl Fredrik Svenstedt Architect

CAPITASPRING by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group and CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati

Entegra offices in Barcelona by Batlleiroig Arquitectura

Angsila Oyster Scaffolding Pavilion by CHAT Architects

The Mosque of Light by Dabbagh Architects

Small Project of the Year

The Small Project prize is open to all completed building projects, as long as they are considered small for their type.

Torch Community by PONE Architecture

Kaomai Museums and Tea Barn by PAVA architects

Project Plum Grove: Experimental Restoration in Mui Tsz Lam by School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Karuizawa Commongrounds Bookstore by Klein Dytham architecture

Bamboo Dome for G20 Bali Summit by Biroe

The Great Glenorchy Alpine Base Camp by RTA Studio in association with Bureaux

Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort by Luxury Frontiers

Toagosei Hydrogen station Tokushima by Osamu Morishita Architect and Associates