The World Architecture Festival (WAF) announced its 2021 shortlist highlighting the best buildings and landscapes that have been completed around the world between 2019–2021. Recognized as the world's most extensive architectural awards program, this year's shortlist consists of 200 projects selected from 732 entries from 55 countries.

The theme for the 2021 edition of the festival is Resetting the City: Greening, Health, and Urbanism, and the awards attracted submissions across 20 completed buildings and landscape categories; an "increase of 44% in submissions from 2019's edition of the festival."

According to WAF: "The architects and designers behind each shortlisted project will compete for category prizes live at WAF in December. Presentations of the shortlisted designs will be made to more than 100 international juries in front of festival delegates. Category winners then compete against each other on the final day of the festival, to compete for the ultimate accolades of World Building of the Year, Future Project of the Year, Interior of the Year, and Landscape of the Year." 

Below is a selection of shortlisted projects from each category arranged in no particular order. 

CIVIC AND COMMUNITY CATEGORY

CULTURE CATEGORY

DISPLAY CATEGORY

HEALTH CATEGORY

HIGHER EDUCATION CATEGORY

HOTEL AND LEISURE CATEGORY

HOUSES & VILLAS (RURAL/NATURE) CATEGORY

HOUSES & VILLAS (URBAN/SUBURBAN) CATEGORY

HOUSING CATEGORY

MIXED-USE CATEGORY

NEW & OLD CATEGORY

OFFICE CATEGORY

PRODUCTION, ENERGY, RECYCLING

RELIGION CATEGORY

LANDSCAPE: NATURE CONTEXT CATEGORY

View more category shortlist projects here. The Festival coordinators share that this year, the WAF will reconvene in Lisbon at the FIL exhibition center, from December 1–3. 

As a media partner with the World Architecture Festival, Archinect and Bustler will keep you up to date about the announcement of the final winning projects in December.