Here it is: World Building of the Year 2014! The official best building in the world is The Chapel, a community space in a new urban ward on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Colorful curtains and natural materials are used to boost the entire space, which was constructed on a tight budget.
Best building: The Chapel (Vietnam) —
Here it is: World Building of the Year 2014! The official best building in the world is The Chapel, a community space in a new urban ward on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Colorful curtains and natural materials are used to boost the entire space, which was constructed on a tight budget.
Courtesy World Architecture Festival
The Chapel was designed by the Vietnamese firm a21studio, which is foremost in a brace of Asian firms that excelled this year. Another Vietnamese firm, Vo Trong Nghia Architects, won three smaller awards at the World Architecture Festival, marking the full emergence of Asian architects onto the world stage.
The Chapel (Vietnam) —
The Chapel was designed by the Vietnamese firm a21studio, which is foremost in a brace of Asian firms that excelled this year. Another Vietnamese firm, Vo Trong Nghia Architects, won three smaller awards at the World Architecture Festival, marking the full emergence of Asian architects onto the world stage.
Courtesy of World Architecture Festival 2014
The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Canada, won the prestigious Future Project of the Year award. It comprises a village of small pavilions that allows the landscape to cascade through the site. A sculpted upper level gallery rises over the brim of the building, nesting in the dense tree canopy above. It was designed by 5468796 Architecture + Number TEN Architectural Group.
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (Canada) —
The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Canada, won the prestigious Future Project of the Year award. It comprises a village of small pavilions that allows the landscape to cascade through the site. A sculpted upper level gallery rises over the brim of the building, nesting in the dense tree canopy above. It was designed by 5468796 Architecture + Number TEN Architectural Group.
Courtesy of World Architecture Festival 2014
This angular, glass structure, lit from within, is the Freedom of the Press Monument in Brazil, winner of the Culture category. It is composed of two elements: the translucent structure above ground, and a network of subterranean facilities for multimedia projections, meetings, exhibitions and ceremonies. It was designed by Gustavo Penna Arquiteto & Associados.
Freedom of the Press Monument (Brazil) —
This angular, glass structure, lit from within, is the Freedom of the Press Monument in Brazil, winner of the Culture category. It is composed of two elements: the translucent structure above ground, and a network of subterranean facilities for multimedia projections, meetings, exhibitions and ceremonies. It was designed by Gustavo Penna Arquiteto & Associados.
Courtesy of World Architecture Festival 2014
The Isfahan Dreamland Commercial Center in Iran won the Commercial Mixed-Use category. It aims to create a high level of interaction between the building and its surroundings, while decreasing construction costs. This is made possible through an architecture that is adaptable to the context and architectural character of the city of Isfahan. Designed by Farshad Mehdizadeh Architects.
Isfahan Dreamland Commercial Center (Iran) —
The Isfahan Dreamland Commercial Center in Iran won the Commercial Mixed-Use category. It aims to create a high level of interaction between the building and its surroundings, while decreasing construction costs. This is made possible through an architecture that is adaptable to the context and architectural character of the city of Isfahan. Designed by Farshad Mehdizadeh Architects.
Courtesy of World Architecture Festival 2014
Skyfarm, which won the Experimental category, is a concept design proposal for a vertical farm. It facilitates the growth of crops in a multi-storey structure within high density population areas. The designers were Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and Arup.
Skyfarm (Italy) —
Skyfarm, which won the Experimental category, is a concept design proposal for a vertical farm. It facilitates the growth of crops in a multi-storey structure within high density population areas. The designers were Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and Arup.
Courtesy of World Architecture Festival 2014
The Village, located in India, won the Residential category. Located on a steeply contoured site, the apartments cascade along the existing slopes, allowing them to open into a series of sheltered terraces and gardens. Each apartment feels like an individual house nestled in the hilly land. Designed by Sanjay Puri Architects.
The Village (India) —
The Village, located in India, won the Residential category. Located on a steeply contoured site, the apartments cascade along the existing slopes, allowing them to open into a series of sheltered terraces and gardens. Each apartment feels like an individual house nestled in the hilly land. Designed by Sanjay Puri Architects.
Courtesy of World Architecture Festival 2014
La Ascensión del Se?or church in Seville, Spain, won the Religion category. The shape of the roof, which unfolds freely to cover the assembly space by joining various inclined planes, allows the introduction of natural light inside. Spatial richness is enhanced, creating a joyful expansive brightness in the main nave of the church and an atmosphere of mystical contemplation in the shrine chapel. Designed by AGi Architects.
La Ascensión del Seno (Spain) —
La Ascensión del Se?or church in Seville, Spain, won the Religion category. The shape of the roof, which unfolds freely to cover the assembly space by joining various inclined planes, allows the introduction of natural light inside. Spatial richness is enhanced, creating a joyful expansive brightness in the main nave of the church and an atmosphere of mystical contemplation in the shrine chapel. Designed by AGi Architects.
Courtesy of World Architecture Festival 2014
House for Trees, which won the House category, is an effort to address the dense urbanization of parts of Vietnam. The aim of the project is to bring green space back into the city, juxtaposing high-density dwelling with big tropical trees. It was designed by Vo Trong Nghia Architects.
House for Trees (Vietnam) —
House for Trees, which won the House category, is an effort to address the dense urbanization of parts of Vietnam. The aim of the project is to bring green space back into the city, juxtaposing high-density dwelling with big tropical trees. It was designed by Vo Trong Nghia Architects.
Courtesy of World Architecture Festival 2014
The winner of the Leisure-Led Development category is the Antakya Museum Hotel in Turkey. An architectural dig found a Christian pilgrimage site on the location of the building, which profoundly affected the design. The elements of the building were envisaged as individual units spread under a protective canopy, rather than a conventional, monolithic hotel. Designed by EAA-Emre Arolat Architects.
Antakya Museum Hotel (Turkey) —
The winner of the Leisure-Led Development category is the Antakya Museum Hotel in Turkey. An architectural dig found a Christian pilgrimage site on the location of the building, which profoundly affected the design. The elements of the building were envisaged as individual units spread under a protective canopy, rather than a conventional, monolithic hotel. Designed by EAA-Emre Arolat Architects.
Courtesy of World Architecture Festival 2014
World Architecture Festival 2014: And the best building in the world is...

Story highlights

World Building of the Year 2014 went to The Chapel, Vietnam, designed by a21studio

More Asian firms competed than ever before, with several winning prizes

The biggest event in the architecture calendar has taken place in Singapore

Grand prize winners were announced in a glittering awards ceremony

CNN  — 

The finest buildings in the world have been named at the World Architecture Festival in Singapore.

At a glittering ceremony, Building of the Year was awarded to The Chapel in Vietnam, designed by a21studio. Future Project of the Year was won by 5468796 Architecture + Number TEN Architectural Group, for Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Canada.

The three-day Festival, now in its seventh year, saw hundreds of firms from more than 50 countries competing in 27 different categories, from Small Projects to Culture and Experimental.

A total of 2,000 architects, designers, clients and press converged on the spectacular Marina Bay Sands Hotel, where in addition to awards ceremonies there were numerous lectures and conferences.

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Victory for a21studio in the Building of the Year award was symbolic of an upsurge in competition entries from Asia, which had a significant impact on this year’s awards. Submissions from China, Malaysia and Vietnam increased by up to 140%. They competed alongside more well-established firms like Aedas, Zaha Hadid Architects and Foster & Partners.

Asian firms quickly made their mark in the first two days, with Vietnam firmly in the lead; Vo Trong Nghia Architects, another Vietnamese firm, won three awards, including those for Future Projects Education and Hotel and Leisure.

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Other winners

Landscape of the Year went to the National Arboretum Canberra, Australia, designed by Taylor Cullity Lethlean and Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, and Small Project of the Year was awarded to The Pinch community library in China, designed by John Lin and Olivier Ottevaere.

Two new awards were added to this year’s program.

The Exterior Color Prize, which recognized the creative use of color, was awarded to Cook Robotham Architectural Burea for the Departments of Law and Central Administration, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria. The Wood Excellence Prize for the most exceptional timber project went to DSDHA for the Alex Monroe Studio in Snowfields, UK.

Highlights of day one included the Culture category, which was won by Gustavo Penna Arquiteto & Associates for the Freedom of the Press Monumentin Paranoá, Brazil, which resembles a huge, translucent triangle, lit from within and embedded in the earth.

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SGi Architects won the Religion category for La Ascension del Senor church in Seville, Spain, an angular, stone-and-steel structure containing three large “voids”.

On day two, the New And Old category was won by Rethinking the Split House, designed by the Chinese architecture studio Neri&Hu Design and Research Office. Judges were impressed by the bold vision, which involved replacing the rear wall of a three-storey 1930s townhouse in with plate glass.

Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners and Arup Associates won the Future Projects Experimental category with Skyfarm, an eye-catching concept design proposal for a vertical farm that enables the cultivation of crops in high-density areas.

A full list of the winners can be found at the World Architecture Festival website.

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