Submitted by WA Contents
World Architecture Community Awards 53rd Cycle winners are announced
United Kingdom Architecture News - Mar 17, 2026 - 06:02 11262 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
* 27 winning projects were announced for the WA Awards 10+5+X 53rd Cycle in Architecture and Student categories.
* Winning countries included India, South Korea, Hong Kong, United States, Bangladesh, Colombia, Sweden, Iran, Turkey, Mexico, Morocco, and Bangladesh.
* The Architecture/Realised category winners included The German Pavilion For The Goethe Institute (India) by Akshay Heranjal and projects from Sanjay Puri Architects, Kyeongsik Yoon, and Robert Cain.
* The Architecture/Designed category winners included The Grid Glamping (Turkey) by Kerem Yazgan and projects from INI Design Studio, SONG Architects, and Selim Senin.
* The Architecture/Student category winners included HCMC High-Rise Park (Vietnam) by Huy Du Nguyễn and projects from Nassereddine Chaib, Gia Tuan Le, and Elif Arabacı.
* Projects were selected by votes of Honorary Members and Winners in earlier cycles, as well as community votings for some entries.
Executive Summary
The World Architecture Community has announced the winners of the WA Awards 10+5+X 53rd Cycle in Architecture and Student categories, recognizing 27 winning projects from 12 different countries. Winning nations included India, South Korea, Hong Kong, the United States, Bangladesh, Iran, Turkey, Mexico, Morocco, Colombia, and Sweden.
In the Architecture/Realised category, projects such as The German Pavilion For The Goethe Institute in India and several projects by Sanjay Puri Architects, Kyeongsik Yoon, and Robert Cain were recognized. These awards were based on votes from Honorary Members and Winners from previous cycles, as well as community votings for some selections.
The Architecture/Designed category included works like Kerem Yazgan's The Grid Glamping in Turkey and projects by INI Design Studio, SONG Architects, and Selim Senin.
The Architecture/Student category featured winners such as Huy Du Nguyễn's HCMC High-Rise Park in Vietnam and projects by Nassereddine Chaib, Gia Tuan Le, and Elif Arabacı.
Full Take
The distribution of wins across diverse geographical locations and building types demonstrates a broad, decentralized recognition system spanning 12 nations. The selection process relies on a dual mechanism—the established votes of past winners and members alongside direct community votings—suggesting an effort to balance institutional legacy with contemporary public engagement in judging architectural merit. The categories highlight success not just in execution (Realised) but also in conceptual design (Designed) and emerging talent (Student).
The pattern emerging is the validation of cross-cultural architectural discourse, where projects from South Korea, Turkey, India, and Vietnam are equally recognized alongside those from the US and Morocco. This reflects a contemporary shift away from a purely Western-centric view of architectural excellence toward acknowledging diverse methodologies and contexts. The inclusion of projects like the Camel Cave Visitors Center and wetland regeneration designs in the Student category points toward valuing socially embedded, regenerative, and culturally responsive design practices.
This mosaic implies that impact is measured not solely by adherence to specific stylistic canons but by the project's ability to engage local communities and address complex environmental or cultural challenges. The inclusion of community voting alongside expert votes functions as a mechanism attempting to integrate external perception into the formal recognition system, potentially allowing for emergent, localized value to influence global awards. What is being reflected is an acknowledgment that architectural relevance is increasingly contingent upon context and participatory engagement, shifting the focus from singular aesthetic achievement to holistic civic contribution.
Bridge Questions: How should the weight given to community votings be weighted against historical votes in future cycles? What are the systemic implications of awarding projects across such a wide geographic spectrum—does this inadvertently prioritize certain regional discourses over others? How can these recognized international achievements be leveraged to foster truly equitable global development practices rather than merely cataloging diverse outputs?