Grand Designs: Shortlist announced for World Architecture Festival Awards

A tree top restaurant in New Zealand, a space age high school in Los Angeles and Wimbledon Centre Court in London, are among the 272 building projects that have made it onto the shortlist for Building of the Year.

In a reflection of the current global climate, the theme for the World Architecture Festival Awards is ‘Less Does More’ in order to consider the challenges facing architects to produce more value for less cost.

Buildings by internationally renowned architects such as Grimshaw, Foster + Partners, Farrells and Skidmore Owings and Merrill LLP made the shortlist, as well as less famous names from 67 different countries.

The UK has 19 projects in the shortlist including Kentish Town Health Centre, The Great North Museum in Newcastle upon Tyne and Clapham Manor Primary School.

Paul Finch, WAF programme director, said: “In what is becoming the acid test of global architecture, the wide geographical range and the outstanding quality of this year’s shortlisted designs provide a true indicator of the current condition and diversity of world architecture. With even more sections to judge this year, the Awards will be fiercely contested in Barcelona , as the shortlisted architects take to the stage to give public presentations. This will make for an inspirational event.”

The awards will take place during the World Architecture Festival, which are in Barcelona at the Centre Convencions International Barcelona (CCIB) from 4th to 6th November 2009. Every design entered for the Awards will be exhibited in the Awards gallery at the Festival and open to the public to view, and the winner will be announced on the final day of the event by the international judging panel, including Rafael Vinoly, Farshid Moussavi and Vittorio Lampugnani.