The World Architecture Festival (WAF) 2024, held in Singapore, announced its top winners. Darlington Public School in Sydney, designed by fjcstudio, won the coveted World Building of the Year award. This marks fjcstudio’s second win, making them the first practice in WAF’s history to achieve this feat.
“This little school project” stood out against larger competitors, said Alessandro Rossi, associate at fjcstudio. “The real winners are the children who will spend time in the building.” WAF programme director Paul Finch praised the project’s poetic integration of topography, landscape, and materials.
The community school, completed in 2023, embodies a strong connection to the Aboriginal people in its redesign. Educational consultants collaborated with the school community, allowing the architects to envision an inclusive learning environment. The redesign embraces rich indigenous culture, conserving and displaying Aboriginal artworks around the school.
Other top winners included the World Interior of the Year award, which went to Pang Mei Noodle Bar LFS in Beijing, China, designed by Office AIO. The Future Project of the Year award was given to Kucukcekmece Djemevi in Turkey, designed by EAA-Emre Arolat Architecture. Regeneration of Vitality โ Shenzhen Guanlan Riverside Plaza in China, designed by Lay-Out Planning Consultants, won Landscape of the Year.
Eight Special Prizes were also awarded, including Small Project of the Year and Best Use of Colour. The Grohe Water Prize, worth ยฃ10,000, was awarded to The Maotai Eco-Metaverse project in China, designed by Turenscape. This experimental project seeks to revolutionize environmental management.
Category winners included Touching Eden House, designed by Wallflower Architecture + Design, which won in the Completed Buildings category. Penn Color Technology Center in Singapore, designed by DP Design, was also recognized.
Australia led with seven wins, followed by the United Kingdom with four. The 18th edition of WAF will be held in Miami, USA, from November 12-14, 2025.
Image courtesy: straitstimes.com
