World Architecture Festival 2025

Details

The ‘Oscars of architecture’ will be held in Miami for its 17th edition, bringing the festival to the USA for the first time. Taking place at Miami Beach Convention Center, Florida, from 12–14 November, the World Architecture Festival(WAF) will welcome the world’s leading architects and designers for three days of talks, awards, exhibitions, and fringe events, showcasing leading international practices, the best new projects, and the most pressing live debates.

The theme for the 2025 edition of the festival is ‘Hearts and Minds’. As part of the live events program, an international panel of speakers will explore and debate the interplay of architecture and design as a product of the mind and as an appeal to the senses and emotions.

Entries for the WAF Awards programme are now open. The awards sit at the heart of the festival, the only global awards program where architects present their projects live to a panel of international judges and delegates. Entries are being welcomed in 45 categories across completed buildings, interiors, future projects, and landscape. For the first time in the festival’s history, a new WAF Interiors category will celebrate the internal spaces of yachts, ships, and houseboats.

Category winners are then invited to go head-to-head for the ultimate accolades of World Building of the Year, Landscape of the Year, Future Project of the Year, and Interior of the Year. Past category winners include Zaha Hadid Architects, Nikken Sekkei, BIG, Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos, Snøhetta, Atelier tao+c, Heatherwick Studio, and Foster + Partners.

Shortlisted projects will also be considered for the WAF Special Prizes, awarded to projects that demonstrate excellence in particular areas such as best use of natural light, stone, and colour. Additionally, the WAFX Awards celebrate future projects embracing cutting-edge design to address major world issues.

WAF’s ‘40 under 40’ initiative will be launched in 2025, recognizing and celebrating the best young North American architects of their generation, in partnership with The Architect’s Newspaper.

Key dates
• Entries are now open for submissions
• Early bird rate until 14 March
• Entries open until 25 April
• Judging takes place in June
• Shortlist will be announced publicly in July
• World Architecture Festival is on 12-14 November 2025

The 2025 World Architecture Festival includes:
• Live judging of finalists’ projects across 17 critique rooms
• A talks programme focused on the theme ‘Hearts and Minds’
• A new business stream hosted by Design Intelligence (2025)
• An exhibition in the Festival Hall
• A digital gallery showcasing all award entries
• An exhibition celebrating the ‘40 under 40’ — recognising the top young North American
architects (new for 2025)
• A practice management stream hosted by Design Intelligence (new for 2025)
• Networking and social events, including partner fringe activities and competitions
• A tours programme of Miami’s architectural landmarks
• A gala dinner to announce the overall winners