The World Architecture Festival (WAF) 2025 reached a major milestone on Day Two, held at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Florida, as 20 additional projects were honored across multiple award categories.
Overview
- The 2025 WAF features over 460 live pitches from finalists, judged by more than 160 international jurors.
- On Day Two, winners were declared in 21 categories, which spanned Completed Buildings, Future Projects, and Interiors.
- Notable firms receiving awards include OMA, Sordo Madaleno, NIKKEN SEKKEI, and Studio Arthur Casas, reflecting a strong international presence.
Day Two Winners of the World Architecture Festival 2025
Here is a selection of the Day Two winners across different categories, showing the diversity and global reach of the festival.
Completed Buildings
- Display: Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025 Japan Pavilion by NIKKEN SEKKEI LTD (Yumeshima, Osaka, Japan)
- Health: AGNES Kantonsspital Baden by Nickl & Partner Architekten Schweiz AG (Baden, Switzerland)
- Higher Education & Research: Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence by ARM Architecture (Shepparton, Australia).
- Hotel & Leisure (supported by GROHE): Poodom Deqin Meri Hotel by BUZZ | Büro Ziyu Zhuang (Diqing, China)
- Mixed-Use: Republica by Marc Koehler Architects (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
- Transport: Central Station Sydney by Woods Bagot, in collaboration with John McAslan + Partners (Sydney, Australia).
Future Projects
- Commercial Mixed-Use: LONE LUNG SPACE by Gayathri & Namith Architects (Bengaluru, India)
- Competition Entries: Where Earth Remembered: An Axis of Heritage and Hope by Eade Va Ejra (Bam, Iran)
- Culture: Qiddiya Performing Arts Centre by Tom Wiscombe Architecture (Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia)
- Education: Canadian School by Sordo Madaleno (Cholula, Puebla, Mexico)
- Experimental: “The Other City: Reimagining Gulf Labor Camps as Creative Campuses” by Design and More International (Dubai, UAE)
- Health: International Children’s Cancer Research Centre by Adjaye Associates (Kyebi, Ghana)
- House: Dune House by Monk Mackenzie Architects (Te Arai, Auckland, New Zealand)
- Residential: The Perigon by OMA (Miami, USA)
Interiors
- Bars & Restaurants: Apsara Cruise by Studio Locomotive (Bangkok, Thailand)
- Education: BS Klim Op Zandbergen by Rosan Bosch Studio (Zandbergen, Belgium)
- Public Buildings: Fractal Chapel at State Hospital Graz by INNOCAD architecture (Graz, Austria)
- Residential (single dwelling): Angra House by Studio Arthur Casas (Angra dos Reis, Brazil)
- Retail: Digikala Flagship Store by MARZ Design & Architecture (Tehran, Iran)
- Temporary / Meanwhile Use: Satah (सतह) by tHE gRID Architects (Ahmedabad, India)
The Day Two winners show how wide the reach of WAF has become. The projects come from every corner of the world, including Australia, India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland. The mix makes the lineup feel global in a real and grounded way.
A noticeable number of winning entries focus on adaptive reuse and transport infrastructure. This reflects a broader shift toward sustainability and careful revitalization. Sydney Central Station is a clear example, bringing new work into dialogue with its heritage structure.
The Future Projects group pushes new ideas further. Many of the unbuilt designs explore fresh ways to shape community life, from proposals that rethink labor camps in Dubai as creative hubs to schools and cultural buildings that place local identity at their center.
The Interiors winners reinforce how much architecture depends on the spaces people touch and use every day. The range is wide, encompassing projects such as floating restaurants, quiet chapels, and public gathering spaces. Each one shows how powerfully interior design can shape how people experience a place.
