World Architecture Festival: Explore the shortlisted finalists for 2026

The countdown to this year's World Architecture Festival is officially on with the release of its 2026 shortlist, offering an early look at 416 projects competing for one of the industry's most closely watched international honors. 

Drawn from more than 630 entries, the lineup spans completed buildings, interiors, landscapes, and future concepts, with categories ranging from housing and education to hotels, sports, and adaptive reuse. The shortlist mixes work from global heavyweights such as Foster + Partners, Herzog & de Meuron, Snøhetta, and Woods Bagot with projects by emerging studios from around the world. 

All finalists will head to the World Architecture Festival in Fort Lauderdale this November to present their work live before international juries, with category winners advancing to compete for the festival's top awards, including the coveted titles of World Building of the Year and World Interior of the Year.

Below, we have compiled a small sample of highlights from this year's shortlist (find the full list on the WAF website). Got a favorite entry? Let us know in the comments.