After four years in Singapore, the World Architecture Festival, one of the most famous architectural events worldwide, is returning to Europe. Actually, the event is scheduled on November 16 to 18, 2016, in Berlin.
WAF ninth edition and the related INSIDE World Festival of Interiors warm up the engines to welcome over 2,000 of the most important international architects and designers for three days dedicated to conferences, award ceremonies, exhibitions and events around the city. The German capital has been chosen for its fervor in architecture and art: an ideal urban setting, with an evolving eclectic culture.
Among the events of the festival there also the WAF Awards that reward as usual completed, in progress and unreleased architectural projects. The deadline for the submission of works for the participation to the awards has been currently extended to June 10 because of a growing demand, coming from over 60 countries. The competition includes 30 categories and the finalist projects will be presented live at the Festival. The jury that will decide the famous World Building of the Year will include among its members professionals such as David Chipperfield, Luisa Hutton and Frédéric Migayrou.
What is more, the British architect David Chipperfield will take a speech regarding the theme of 2016 edition, “Housing for everyone”. The conferences’ program of the Festival will focus therefore on the relationship between the rapid population growth and global urbanization, a controversial topic and a true challenge for contemporary architecture.
The Interlace project realized by OMA e Buro Ole Scheeren was awarded during the 2015 edition of the Festival (Nov. 4 to 6, 2015). Instead, Bjarke Ingels Group, curator of the 2016 Pavilion of the Serpentine Galleries in London, won the Future Project of the Year award for the Vancouver House project.
