World Architecture Festival announces shortlisted projects for 2019

Shanghai Jund Architects' Pine Villa, Huangshan, China. Image courtesy of WAF

Following the establishment of 'Architects Declare', a collective of some of the most renowned practices who have come together to announce a state of climate emergency, this year’s World Architecture Festival shortlisted entries that demonstrate how buildings can play a major role in a more sustainable future.

WAF will reconvene in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, from 4-6 December this year. This is the second time the event has been hosted in the Dutch capital, following previous editions in Barcelona, Singapore and Berlin.

3XN's sinuous Olympic House in Lausanne. Image © Adam Mørk

Amongst the shortlist is an eco-airport in Singapore designed by Safdie Architects centred around a 15,000m² state-of-the-art, indoor public garden, which features a 40m indoor waterfall falling through the centre of a doughnut-shaped glass roof, alongside 3,000 trees and 100,000 shrubs from around the globe.

Dortheavej Residence by Bjarke Ingels Group flies the flag for both affordable and sustainable modular housing in Copenhagen, shining a light on this nascent mode of construction which has the potential to offer much to the housing crisis.

Mecanoo's Arts Center in Taiwan. Image © Iwan Baan

Whilst one of last year’s winners, Studio Gang, tackles environmental concerns at a volumetric level through its ‘Solstice on the Park’ project – a 26-storey residential tower in the USA optimised for environmental performance through angled window panels which are slanted inwards at 72 degrees — the precise angle at which the sun hits the Chicago skyline at the height of the summer solstice.

In the culture category, Helsinki Central Library Oodi by AL_A Architects, whose founder Amanda Levete is a founding member of Architects Declare, heralds a new era of library design where traditional functions meet modern technology to create an almost zero-energy building with panoramic views.

ZHA's Morpheus Hotel in Macau. Image © Ivan Dupont

The Future Project: Experimental and Future Project: Infrastructure categories also launched some exciting and innovative entries, including the proposal for a waterfront park in NYC, transforming oil tanks into community gardens, by Studio V Architecture, and the proposal for man-made, mid-bay barrier islands to act as a surge protection system for the Port of Houston, by Rogers Partners Architects + Urban Designers.

Major world architects shortlisted include Zaha Hadid Architects, Heatherwick Studio, Bjarke Ingels Group, Rafael Vinoly Architects, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, Grimshaw and White Arkitekter.

Heatherwick Studio-designed Vessel at Hudson Yards Opened to the public. Image courtesy of WAF

Many smaller practices will also take part to pitch against the big names. This year’s 534-strong shortlist, ranges from private residential, to education, infrastructure, healthcare, hospitality, cultural/civic, interior and landscape projects across 70 countries.

"We have been inspired by the levels of innovation in this year’s entries that show the incredible range of ways in which architects are responding to the global climate and biodiversity emergencies we face," said WAF programme director Paul Finch.

"WAF has attracted more than 1,000 entries, for the second year in a row, from 70 countries, and we look forward to more than 500 live presentations at the festival in Amsterdam, showcasing these exemplar projects from around the world."

The top five countries entering WAF 2019 are China and Hong Kong, Australia, UK, United States, India.

Article originally published on World Architecture Community.