Winner of the World Building of the Year: The Interlace by OMA/Buro Ole Scheeren, Singapore —
Aptly named, the complex features 31 apartment blocks which "interlace" or cross over each other diagonally. The structures are stacked one on top of the other. Buro Ole Scheeren partner Eric Chang said the firm wanted to conceptualize the design as more of a village: "It's a large scale project -- it's 170,000 sqm and accommodates 1,040 units. So we were thinking, how can we build more for a vertical village rather than a building for housing. In our design, there's multiple opportunities for social connectivity, a real sense of community, the presence of nature, and generous space."Besides winning the overall World Building of the Year, the development was also the category winner of Completed Housing.
Scroll through the gallery to see the other category winners.
Winner of the Future Project of the Year: Vancouver House by Bjarke Ingells Group (BIG), Canada —
The design was described by judges as a demonstration of "how architecture can successfully transform residual urban spaces by taking advantage of the air rights above." The Vancouver House creates a residential option in an area that is connected to an overpass. Bjarke Ingells Group (BIG) Partner Kai-Uwe Bergmann explains: "In most cities the prime sites have been taken and built, and what we now have is these leftover spaces. This project is a model for how other cities might use these spaces." The design won for overall Future Project of the Year and for its category, Future Residential.
Completed Religion category winner: Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies by Mangera Yvars Architects, Doha —
The Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies is built up of educational spaces as well as a mosque. The building is detailed with Islamic calligraphy and verses from the Qur'an throughout the structure.
Completed Civic and Community category winner: Cam Thanh Community House by 1 + 1, Vietnam —
A community center based in Hoi An, Vietnam, this structure was designed specifically for the surrounding local community. It features a roof made of bamboo and coconut leaves, which is designed to direct rainwater towards the site's greenery.
Completed Transport category winner: Fulton Center by Grimshaw, US —
New York's Fulton Center is designed to connect 11 subway lines and up to 30,000 daily commuters. It also holds a large atrium in the center of the structure which features a glass dome and allows for natural light to pass throughout the building.
Completed Display category winner: Expo Milano 2015 by Studio Arthur Casas + Atelier Marko Brajovic —
Offering an alternative view of the garden within it, the design separates the bottom garden floor from the upper observation floor using a bouncing rope canopy. Visitors can climb up to the rope canopy and observe the garden through the rope floor.
Completed Health category winner: Walumba Elders Centre by Iredale Pedersen Hook Architects, Australia —
The Walumba Elders Centre project was commissioned in response to a devastating flood which destroyed the previous health center. The new structure sits 3 meters above the ground to ensure that it is above flood level.
Completed Higher Education & Research category winner: Toho Gakuen School of Music by Nikken Sekkei, Japan —
A higher learning music school based in Tokyo, the Toho Gakuen School of Music was originally founded in 1948. It is lined with oak in order to enhance acoustics in the building.
Completed Hotel & Leisure category winner: Lanserhof Lake Tegern by Ingenhoven Architects —
Described as a health resort, the Lanserhof Lake Tegern features 70 rooms, each designed to be little houses. The structure offers both hotel facilities and medical care.
Completed House category winner: Saigon House by a21 Studio, Vietnam —
a21 Studio is an architecture firm based in Vietnam. It previously took home the World Building of the Year award in 2014. This year, they received recognition in the Completed House category. It's a narrow home designed to house a family of seven. The structure does not follow a standard format of floors and rooms, and instead is built of individual dwellings that are suspended alongside each other.
Completed Mixed Use category winner: Casba by Billard Leece/SJB Architects, Australia —
A collection of curved blocks, this mixed-use building is home to offices and shopping areas as well as apartments. It features commercial areas on the lower floors, while homes are on the upper floors.
Completed New & Old category winner: Courtyard House Plugin by People's Architecture Office, Beijing —
The Courtyard House Plug-in is a way of renovating historic courtyard houses in Beijing, without tearing anything down. It's a prefabricated modular structure that is built inside the original structures.
Completed Office category winner: HIGO by Nakayama Architects, Japan —
Described by the judges as a "magical, habitable, almost invisible structure," the HIGO office is located in an earthquake zone in Hokkaido. The windows are fitted to create horizontal strip patterns across the structure.
Completed Schools category winner: Ballet School in St Petersburg by Studio 44 Architects, Russia —
The Ballet School was created between two existing structures: a cinema and a neighboring home. The structure is finished with translucent glass throughout -- these are used as partitions but also to maximize natural light within the building.
Completed Sport category winner: San Mames Stadium by ACXT-IDOM, Spain —
The stadium was designed to replace the previous San Mames stadium, which was over 100 years old and home to the Athletic Bilbao football club. The old structure was previously regarded as the "cathedral" by fans, and this new stadium had to respect the heritage of its predecessor.
Completed Shopping category winner: Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu by The Oval Partnership, China —
This shopping complex is based around an ancient temple in Chengdu, the capital of China's Sichuan province. The complex pays tribute to the past by borrowing design cues from traditional hutongs, or the city's historic alleyways.
Future Office category winner: Reservoir by Sanjay Puri Architects, India —
The Reservoir project is currently being built. It features an office complex which surrounds an existing body of water. The building borrows design cues from ancient Indian stepwells. The office building, like the stepwells, is designed to collect rainwater to fill the well.
Future Commercial Mixed Use category winner: Gardens by the Waterway Neighbourhood Centre and Polyclinic at Punggol by MULTIPLY ARCHITECTS —
A collaborative project between London-based Serie Architects, and Singapore firm, Multiply Architects, the Neighbourhood Centre and Polyclinic is set to become a new center for public events. It will feature healthcare facilities, gardens, gym spaces, dining spaces, retail locations and more.
Future Education category winner: Wellington College Performing Arts Centre by Studio Seilern Architects —
Described by the judges as having a "poetic relationship between the planned spaces and the existing building and landscape," the education building fits into a slope in order to minimally affect its forest surroundings.
Future Health category winner: Al Maha Centre for Children and Young Adults by HDR Rice Daubney, Qatar —
Designed to be as domestic and homey as possible, the HDR Rice Daubney project Al Maha Centre for Children and Young Adults is described as a "non-institutional and non-intimidating setting."
Future Experimental category winner: Home Farm by Spark 2, Singapore —
Described as a "culturally, socially and environmentally friendly sustainable project" by the judges, the Home Farm is a concept for urban retirement housing. It incorporates vertical urban farming, which could have direct, positive effects on Singapore's food security.
Future House category winner: Issa Grotto: Hill House by PROARH, Greece —
The ISSA Grotto/Hill House is built on a steep hill on the Vis island in Greece. As there was little usable space on the hill to build a home, the architects had to carve into the hill, pulling design inspiration from caves and grottoes.
Future Infrastructure category winner: Cukurova Regional Airport Complex by EAA Emre Arolat Architects, Turkey —
The Cukurova Airport is designed by Turkey-based EAA Emre Arolat Architects. The environmentally conscious airport design is also created to best give visitors a positive first impression of the city that are visiting.
Future Culture category winner: Musem of Painting and Sculpture by EAA Emre Arolat Architects, Turkey —
The second win for the EAA Emre Arolat Architects is their Museum of Painting and Sculpture concept. This project is based in Turkey.
Future Leisure-led Development category winner: London Olympic Stadium Transformation by Populous, UK —
Described as "sustainable and efficient" yet also respectful of London's existing heritage, the London Olympic Stadium Transformation project by Populous was announced as the winner for future Leisure-led development projects.
Future Masterplanning category winner: Development Concept for the Historic Centre of Kaliningrad by Studio 44 Architects, Russia —
St Petersburg-based architects Studio 44 won a local competition for their proposed redevelopment plans for the historic center of Kaliningrad, in Russia. The architect's investigated each of the city's 12 distinct districts, and proposed developments for each area individually.
