Courtesy of The Royal Commission for AlUla | Rana Haddad + Pascal Hachem Reveries, Desert X AlUla 2024
Architecture and design enter 2026 in a moment of renewed experimentation, urgent environmental reflection, and an expanded global dialogue on the built environment. As cities confront the pressures of climate adaptation, demographic shifts, and technological transformation, this year's international calendar offers a lens into how the discipline is responding, creatively, critically, and collectively. From long-standing biennials to newly established platforms, the events of 2026 spotlight architecture's evolving role as both a record of our changing world and a driver of more equitable, sustainable futures.
The ultimate accolades of World Building of the Year supported by GROHE, World Interior of the Year, Future Project of the Year and Landscape of the Year were announced today as hundreds of architects from across the world convened at a grand finale Gala Dinner at Miami Beach Convention Center in Florida. A host of Special Prizes, including the American Beauty Prize supported by the Royal Fine Art Commission Trust, were also announced at the closing event to celebrate the eighteenth edition of the festival. The announcement follows the final day of WAF, in which prize winners across all 43 categories have been competing for the winning titles.
https://www.archdaily.com/1036083/world-building-of-the-year-and-interior-of-the-year-revealed-at-world-architecture-festival-2025Enrique Tovar
In total, the three-day festival will see over 460 live pitches from the 2025 finalists, presented to more than 160 international judges. Today has seen shortlisted projects from around the world compete for 21 award categories within Completed Buildings, Future Projects, and Interiors. Award winners include OMA, Sordo Madaleno, Studio Arthur Casas, and NIKKEN SEKKEI.
https://www.archdaily.com/1036039/world-architecture-festival-2025-day-two-winners-announcedEnrique Tovar
In total, the three-day festival will see over 460 live pitches from the 2025 finalists in front of over 160 international judges. Today has seen shortlisted projects from around the world compete for 22 award categories within Completed Buildings, Future Projects, and Interiors. Award winners include WOW Architects, BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, Batlleiroig, and Perkins&Will.
https://www.archdaily.com/1035985/world-architecture-festival-2025-day-one-winners-announcedEnrique Tovar
21st Europe, a Copenhagen-based think tank founded by former SPACE10 creative director Kaave Pour, has introduced its second major blueprint, Continent of Play. Developed in collaboration with design and architecture studioSpacon, the proposal reimagines playgrounds as vital civic infrastructure, positioning them alongside museums, transport hubs, and energy grids as defining spaces for Europe's future.
Porto's architectural legacy has long been shaped by the weight of history and the clarity of form. From the work of Álvaro Siza to the dense network of studios emerging from the city's schools, Porto offers a unique blend of continuity and reinvention. Here, architecture is not only a matter of design but often one of endurance — of working within constraints, of drawing with precision, and of navigating a built environment marked by permanence and resistance to spectacle.
Yet within this persistent context, a new generation of architects has been reshaping the field with quiet determination. Often formed in shared spaces, these practices balance autonomy with collaboration and meticulous detailing with broader urban concerns. Their studios tend to reflect this ethos: modest in scale, defined by adaptive reuse, and rooted in the material reality of the city. In these workspaces, architecture unfolds as a process — sometimes speculative, sometimes grounded — but always reflective of a practice that is deeply local and increasingly global.
Time is running out! We invite you to take part in the ArchDaily 2025 Building of the Year Awards by casting your vote for the projects that have made the biggest impact on the built environment.
This year, ArchDaily's projects database has featured thousands of inspiring works, and thanks to your participation, 4,000 projects have been narrowed down to just 75 finalists—representing the best in each category. Now, it's time to choose the winners.
2025 promises to be a landmark in architecture, heralding a vibrant renaissance of creativity and exploration. As societies confront challenges such as climate change, rapid urbanization, and technological evolution, architecture is both a mirror to these dynamics and a compass pointing toward a sustainable and inclusive future. This year's architectural calendar offers abundant opportunities to celebrate the discipline's transformative power — from boundary-pushing festivals to thought-provoking exhibitions that explore pressing cultural and environmental narratives.
From well-established biennials to inaugural gatherings, including the World Architecture Festival 2025, Desert X Al Ula, and the COP Climate Conference, the 2025 calendar highlights themes such as sustainability, heritage, and community. These events underscore architecture's unique ability to shape a better future, addressing global challenges while honoring cultural diversity and design ingenuity.
This month, architecture has addressed a wide array of themes, from preserving cultural heritage to designing for adaptability. Around the world, architects are responding to changing needs with solutions that aim to prioritize both functionality and the environment. Notable examples include Gehl, SOM, and Bionic's ambitious redevelopment of San Francisco's India Basin waterfront, which reimagines urban living in harmony with nature, and VOID Studios' collaboration on Kenya's Masai Mara Conservation Centre, a project deeply rooted in ecological and cultural sensitivity. Elsewhere, Nokken and BIG unveiled their "Softshell structure," offering a flexible option for hospitality and residential markets. Meanwhile, the transformation of The Raleigh in Miami Beach by Peter Marino aims to preserve the site's heritage while introducing new standards. These projects, among others, reflect the ever-evolving priorities of the field. Read on to discover the latest news shaping the architectural world.
Mandarin Oriental Residences in Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Cultural District / BIG. Image Courtesy of BIG
Recent architectural announcements showcase a global range of projects. This month, some of the most recognized architectural offices in the world have announced ambitious projects, some engaging with local communities, rediscovering and revitalizing existing structures, or contributing to complex architectural landscapes. Among them, BIG revealed their proposal for Saadiyat Island, a cultural district that gathers some of the world's most famous designers. Additionally, Populous revealed a new performance center, KCAP is developing a framework for an eco-industrial park, and Henley Halebrown is working to revitalize an overlooked structure in Belgium, reopening it to the local community. Read on to discover a collection of recent announcements from the architectural world, peeking into established architects' processes and recent announcements.
In recent weeks, a series of significant architectural developments have been announced, showcasing the varied work of renowned firms from around the globe. These projects, revealed between late September and October 2024, emphasize the transformative potential of architectural design in rehabilitating historical structures, revitalizing urban areas, and proposing new facilities to meet the evolving needs of communities. Notable names such as Zaha Hadid Architects, Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), and Studio Egret West are among those leading ambitious projects, from the waterfront residences on Qetaifan Island in Qatar to the reimagining of London's Earls Court. This collection of recent announcements provides a glimpse into the ongoing evolution of urban landscapes and community-centric architecture.
From the 1930s to the 1990s, Burle Marx's work anticipated many of today's concerns about sustainability and urban well-being. Long before terms like "sustainable design" or "green infrastructure" became commonplace, Burle Marx was already advocating for the use of native plants, recognizing their role in creating self-sustaining ecosystems that required minimal intervention. His projects often transformed neglected urban areas into vibrant, ecologically balanced spaces that not only improved the environment but also enhanced the quality of life for city dwellers.
Lo-tech Augmented Reality. Image Courtesy of James Corbett
Augmented reality (AR) software has been a common feature in professional design toolkits for a while. But the recent release of Apple’s Vision Pro glasses shows the mixed-reality wearables sector is making serious inroads in consumer markets too, as one of the world’s biggest names in consumer design and technology enters the market.
A major reason for the immense hype surrounding Apple’s foray into AR/VR hardware, however, is the decision to position it as ‘spatial computing.’ By taking the complexity of augmented reality, and using it to heighten a familiar consumer sector – personal computing – the Cupertino-based brand has simplified the whole experience, widening its understanding and appeal.
Richard Kelly illuminated some of the twentieth century’s most iconic buildings: the Glass House, Seagram Building and Kimbell Art Museum, to name a few. His design strategy was surprisingly simple but extremely successful.
Lighting for architecture has been and still often is dominated by an engineering viewpoint, resigned to determining sufficient illuminance levels for a safe and efficient working environment. With a background in stage lighting, Kelly introduced a scenographic perspective for architectural lighting. His point of view might look self-evident to today’s architectural community, but it was revolutionary for his time and has strongly influenced modern architecture.
The third tallest building in Berlin, a 142 meters high-rise by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), is expected to be completed by 2023. Located close to the Warschauer station and the Mercedes-Benz Arena, The EDGE East Side will be a vertical hub of 65,000 square meters that connects two of Berlin's most vibrant and artistic suburbs: Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg.
Blending contemporary urban requirements and natural elements, the structure will feature 360 views of East Berlin and 36 floors of shared and dedicated workplaces. Some building sections will serve organizations or individuals focusing primarily on sustainability, education, or social issues. The tower will also host Amazon's offices, with room for up to 3400 employees.
Jeanne Gang, Studio Gang's founder, has been named the 2023 recipient of the Charlotte Perriand Award by The Créateurs Design Awards. From skyscrapers to museums, including the Aqua Tower - the tallest woman-designed building in the world at the time of its completion- and the recently opened Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, Gang has demonstrated her dedication to creating and implementing better practices in sustainable reuse, ecological biodiversity, and social equity. Jeanne Gang, the first woman architect to get the Charlotte Perriand prize, joins the CDA AWARDS laureates list along with Sir David Adjaye and Tadao Ando.
Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, The Robert Day Sciences Center at CMC in California breaks ground and is expected to be completed in 2024. Featuring an open auditorium, labs, research spaces, and multifunctional roofs with 360-degree views of Mt. Baldy, the building will serve a community of 1,400 students. By literally stacking disciplines together in a Jenga-like composition, the framing of a column-free bar will serve as a multilevel gathering hub of collaboration and a crossroads for scientific thought and also stimulate the rest of the liberal arts students to take a deeper interest in the sciences and vice versa.
NEWSUBSTANCE transforms an oil rig into a 35 meters tall public art installation in Weston-super-Mare, UK. The mega-platform features a 10- meter-high waterfall, a wild garden, and a 6,000-piece kinetic installation, including Ivan Black's work and Trevor Lee's art pieces. From 24 September to 5 November 2022, "SEE MONSTER" will welcome the public to inspire conversations about reuse, renewables, and the great British weather, as part of the festival UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK.
