Submitted by WA Contents
World Architecture Community Awards 53rd Cycle winners are announced
United Kingdom Architecture News - Mar 17, 2026 - 06:02 9176 views
The World Architecture Community has announced the winners of WA Awards 10+5+X 53rd Cycle in Architecture, and Student categories.
We have 27 different winning projects from 12 different countries with a fantastic mix of building types, spanning from South Korea, Hong Kong, United States, Bangladesh to Colombia, Sweden.
In short, the winning countries can be listed as India, South Korea, Hong Kong, United States, Vietnam, Iran, Turkey, Mexico, Morocco, Colombia, Bangladesh, Sweden.
Akshay Heranjal's The German Pavilion For The Goethe Institute in India won the WA Award in the 53rd Cycle in the Architecture/Realised category. Image © Saurabh Suryan
WA Awards 10+5+X 53rd Cycle Architecture/Realised category
In the Architecture/Realised category, Akshay Heranjal's The German Pavilion For The Goethe Institute in India, Sanjay Puri Architects' 4 projects; Prestige University, Crest Nine, Cielo, and Stella in India, Kyeongsik Yoon's Inwol-sa Temple; A Buddhist Temple Inspired by the Shape of the Buddha’s Eyebrows in South Korea, are among the winners of the WA Awards 53rd Cycle. These winning projects were selected by the Votes of Honorary Members and Winners in earlier cycles.
Scroll down for the winning Architecture/Realised projects below:
- Selected by the votes of Honorary Members and Winners in earlier cycles (8 projects)
- Crest Nine, India, by Sanjay Puri Architects
- Prestige University, India, by Sanjay Puri Architects
- Cielo, India, by Sanjay Puri Architects
- Stella, India, by Sanjay Puri Architects
- Inwol-sa Temple; A Buddhist Temple Inspired by the Shape of the Buddha’s Eyebrows, South Korea, by Kyeongsik Yoon
- The German Pavilion For The Goethe Institute, India, by Akshay Heranjal
- Holly Hill, United States, by Robert Cain
- Terra House, India, by Shobhan Kothari
- Selected democratically, through the votings of community members (+4 projects)
- Crest Nine, India, by Sanjay Puri Architects
- Prestige University, India, by Sanjay Puri Architects
- Cielo, India, by Sanjay Puri Architects
- Chinese Medicine Hospital and Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, by Wing Chuen Fung
Kerem Yazgan''s The Grid Glamping in Turkey won the WA Award in the 53rd Cycle in the Architecture/Designed category. Image © Frontop Visualization
WA Awards 10+5+X 53rd Cycle Architecture/Designed category
In the Architecture/Designed category, Kerem Yazgan's The Grid Glamping in Turkey, INI Design Studio's Shilp Twin Towers in India, SONG Architects' Eternity Residence in Iran, Selim Senin's Rural Learning House in Mexico, are among the winners of the WA Awards 53rd Cycle. These winning projects were selected by the Votes of Honorary Members and Winners in earlier cycles.
- Selected by the votes of Honorary Members and Winners in earlier cycles (5 projects)
- Bavi Heritage, Vietnam, by Sonthai Architects Associates
- Shilp Twin Towers, India, by INI Design Studio
- Eternity Residence, Iran, by SONG Architects
- The Grid Glamping, Turkey, by Kerem Yazgan
- Rural Learning House, Mexico, by Selim Senin
- Selected democratically, through the votings of community members (+3 projects)
- Bavi Heritage, Vietnam, by Sonthai Architects Associates
- The Grid Glamping, Turkey, by Kerem Yazgan
- Rural Learning House, Mexico, by Selim Senin
Huy Du Nguyễn's HCMC High-Rise Park in Vietnam won the WA Award in the 53rd Cycle in the Architecture/Student category. Image © Huy Du Nguyễn
WA Awards 10+5+X 53rd Cycle Architecture/Student category
In the Architecture/Student category, Nassereddine Chaib's Camel Cave Visitors Center in Morocco, Gia Tuan Le's Jrai Culture Museum Of Rituals And Festivals in Vietnam, María Alejandra Casas Ruiz's NE(S)TS: architectural devices in wetland regeneration in Colombia, Elif Arabacı's Eco-niche in Turkey are among the winners of the WA Awards 53rd Cycle. These winning projects were selected by the Votes of Honorary Members and Winners in earlier cycles.
Scroll down for the winning Architecture/Student projects below:
- Selected by the votes of Honorary Members and Winners in earlier cycles (10 projects)
- Camel Cave Visitors Center, Morocco, by Nassereddine Chaib
- Jrai Culture Museum Of Rituals And Festivals, Vietnam, by Gia Tuan Le
- NE(S)TS: architectural devices in wetland regeneration, Colombia, by María Alejandra Casas Ruiz
- Cam Ranh Naval History Museum: Memories Of The Current, Vietnam, by Van Thao Nguyen Huu
- Eco-niche, Turkey, by Elif Arabacı
- Nha Ba Gian, Vietnam, by Gia Bao Ha
- BEYOND REDISCOVERY: Alijan Jute Mill's Future, Bangladesh, by Fatiha Tanjim Oni
- Garden City Housing, Stockholm, Sweden, by Marlo Hagen
- MATTER DISCLOUSER, Turkey, by Defne Demir
- SUB-FLUX Sarnıç, Turkey, by Neslihan Yüksel
- Selected democratically, through the votings of community members (+5 projects)
- Cam Ranh Naval History Museum: Memories Of The Current, Vietnam, by Van Thao Nguyen Huu
- Nha Ba Gian, Vietnam, by Gia Bao Ha
- SUB-FLUX Sarnıç, Turkey, by Neslihan Yüksel
- HCMC High-rise Park, Vietnam, by Huy Du Nguyễn
- From Fragility to Resilience: An Integrated Approach to Coastal Settlement on Kutubdia Island, Bangladesh, by Mst. Khairun Nahar Jeba
Top image in the article (from left to right): Akshay Heranjal's The German Pavilion For The Goethe Institute (© Saurabh Suryan), INI Design Studio's Shilp Twin Towers (© INI Design Studio), Sanjay Puri Architects' Prestige University (© Vinay Panjwani), Shobhan Kothari's Terra House (© Sebastian Zachariah), Kerem Yazgan's The Grid Glamping (© Frontop Visualization), Huy Du Nguyễn's HCMC High-Rise Park (© Huy Du Nguyễn), Fatiha Tanjim Oni's BEYOND REDISCOVERY: Alijan Jute Mill's Future (© Fatiha Tanjim Oni), Van Thao Nguyen Huu's Cam Ranh Naval History Museum: Memories Of The Current (© Van Thao Nguyen Huu).
Facts Only
The World Architecture Community announced winners of the WA Awards 10+5+X 53rd Cycle.
Winners are divided into Architecture/Realised, Architecture/Designed, and Architecture/Student categories.
27 winning projects from 12 countries were selected.
Winning countries include India, South Korea, Hong Kong, United States, Vietnam, Iran, Turkey, Mexico, Morocco, Colombia, Bangladesh, and Sweden.
Selection processes included votes by Honorary Members and Winners of earlier cycles, as well as democratic voting by community members.
Projects in the Realised category include The German Pavilion For The Goethe Institute, Crest Nine, Prestige University, Cielo, Stella, Inwol-sa Temple, Holly Hill, and Terra House.
Projects in the Designed category include The Grid Glamping, Shilp Twin Towers, Eternity Residence, Rural Learning House, and Bavi Heritage.
Projects in the Student category include Camel Cave Visitors Center, Jrai Culture Museum Of Rituals And Festivals, NE(S)TS, Cam Ranh Naval History Museum, Eco-niche, Nha Ba Gian, BEYOND REDISCOVERY, Garden City Housing, MATTER DISCLOUSER, SUB-FLUX Sarnıç, and HCMC High-rise Park.
Announcement date is March 17, 2026.
Executive Summary
The World Architecture Community has concluded its 53rd Cycle of the WA Awards 10+5+X, recognizing 27 projects across 12 nations. The honors are distributed across three primary tracks: Realised architecture, Designed concepts, and Student work. The geographic spread is broad, with significant representation from Asia (India, South Korea, Vietnam, Hong Kong), the Middle East (Iran, Turkey), and the Americas (United States, Mexico, Colombia).
The selection methodology utilizes a dual-track system, blending the expertise of Honorary Members and past winners with a democratic community voting process. This structure results in some projects achieving recognition through both channels, while others are selected exclusively by the professional elite or the general community. The variety of building types—ranging from Buddhist temples and naval museums to glamping sites and urban high-rise parks—reflects a diverse global interest in contemporary architectural forms and functions.
Full Take
The strongest version of this narrative is that of a global, meritocratic celebration of architectural diversity, bridging the gap between seasoned professionals and emerging students through a hybrid voting system. It presents a vision of architecture as a universal language that transcends national borders.
The structure of the awards reveals a specific prestige hierarchy. By separating "Realised" from "Designed" and "Student," the system validates different stages of the creative process. However, the overlap between professional jury votes and community votes suggests a consensus on "star-architecture"—where certain firms or styles possess a brand gravity that attracts both expert and popular acclaim.
The underlying paradigm is one of aesthetic curation. The focus remains on the "project" as an object of beauty or innovation rather than its socio-economic impact or sustainability metrics. This echoes the historical tradition of the architectural "salon," where visibility and recognition within a curated community act as the primary currency of success.
For human agency, these awards provide critical validation for young architects and students, potentially accelerating their careers. The benefit accrues largely to the winning firms and the awarding body, which enhances its own authority by acting as the arbiter of global taste.
Bridge Questions: How do the selection criteria for "Realised" projects differ from "Designed" ones in terms of sustainability and utility? To what extent does the "democratic" vote reflect actual architectural quality versus digital marketing and social media reach?
Counterstrike Scan: A coordinated campaign using this narrative would use "global diversity" and "democratic selection" as a smokescreen to establish a monopoly on architectural prestige or to launder the reputation of specific firms. The current content is a standard announcement of award winners and does not match the structural markers of a coordinated influence operation.
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