AYA 2024 shortlists: WA100 International Architect of the Year

Earlier this year BD announced all the architects who made it on to the shortlists for our prestigious annual Architect of the Year Awards.

Now we are shining the spotlight on each category in turn and publishing a selection of the images that impressed the judges.

This year’s judges include: Yẹmí Aládérun, head of development, Meridian Water, Enfield Council; Alexandra Andone, associate director, PRP; Amr Assaad, board director, Buckley Gray Yeoman; Lee Bennett, partner, design chair and school lead, Sheppard Robson; Sarah Cary, chief development officer Imperial College, White City Campus; Irene Craik, director, Levitt Bernstein; Alex Ely, founding director, Mae; Martyn Evans, creative director, LandsecU+I; Gavin Hale-Brown, director, Henley Halebrown; Tanvir Hasan, director emeritus, Donald Insall Associates; Lee Higson, board director, Eric Parry Architects; Nigel Hugill, chief executive, Urban & Civic; Kirsten Lees, managing partner, Grimshaw; Oliver Lowrie, director and founder, Ackroyd Lowrie; Anna Mansfield, director, Publica; Michelle McDowell, non-executive director, Civic; Ian McKnight, founding partner, Hall McKnight; John McRae, director and trustee, Orms; David Partridge, chairman, Related Argent; Sarah Robinson, asociate director, The King’s Foundation; Philippa Simpson, director for buildings and renewal, Barbican Centre; Kevin Singh, head, Manchester School of Architecture; Karl Singporewala, founder, Karl Singporewala Design Bureau; Jonathan Smales, founder and CEO, Human Nature; Elizabeth Smith, chairman and regional director, Purcell; Alan Stanton, principal director, Stanton Williams; Amin Taha, chairperson, Groupwork; Magali Thomson, project lead for placemaking, Great Ormond Street Hospital; Tatiana von Preussen, co-founder and director, vPPR; Jo Wright, director, Perkins&Will.

Today’s shortlist is for the category of WA100 International Architect of the Year.

Arquid

Founded in 2007, the Spanish practice is based in Madrid and Barcelona with overseas offices in London, Berlin and Paris. Recent office projects include the headquarters for Monex and a warehouse transformation to create its own new studio, both in Madrid. Arquid’s entry also includes Casa Umbral, a private house featuring a lattice façade of locally sourced ceramics.

Buckley Gray Yeoman

The UK practice has continued its recent expansion in Europe with the completion of projects in Spain, Italy and Belgium. In Madrid, Skylight is a new build office building in the city’s developing Sanchinarro district, while Ancora 40 refurbishes and links two existing buildings to form an office hub in the city centre. The practice has also completed interiors for a new Mercure hotel in Antwerp, and a Fred Perry store in New York.

Dewan Architects + Engineers

Established in 1984 in Abu Dhabi, the multi-disciplinary practice has eight offices across the Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia. Its entry includes the Astana Grand Mosque in Khazakhsta and the Solforest residential development in Hanoi, Vietnam. In the Gulf, recent projects include the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Saudi Arabia and the Oceano residences on Al Marjan island in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.

HENN

The German practice was founded in 1947 and has offices in Germany and China. HENN aims to ‘rethink typologies and push forward sustainable construction’. It developed the concept design for CUBE in Dresden, described as the world’s first building made of carbon concrete, and has designed Westlake University, a research university under development in Hangzhou, China. Its entry also includes a headquarters for Continental in Hanover and interiors for The House of Communication in Munich.

MORPH

The Spanish practice has more than 160 designers, architects and engineers in Madrid, Málaga, Cap Cana in Dominican Republic, and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Recent residential projects include Becrux, completed in Madrid’s Retiro district with a distinctive parametric façade, the proposed Sphere development in Cadiz and Ceiba high rise in Malaga. MORPH’s entry also features a design for a five-building court complex in Doha, Qatar.

Plus 8 Consulting Limited

The Hong Kong architect and urban designer has submitted two projects in its entry. Hong Shou Fang, a 1.5 hectare mixed-use urban regeneration in Shanghai, opened in 2023 and includes offices, retail, an indoor market and a neighbourhood plaza. Zhengzhou Lake & City completed in Henan, China, for the Vanke Group, is conceived as a place where people can live in harmony with nature.

Purcell

The UK architect, masterplanner and heritage practice has submitted projects in Australia and Hong Kong. In Sydney, Purcell completed the restoration and upgrading of both legislative chambers at NSW Parliament while in Hobart, it conserved key historic structures at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. In Hong Kong, it converted Jessville Manor, a colonial mansion previously threatened with demolition, into residential apartments.

Sanjay Puri Architects

Based in Mumbai, the Indian practice was established in 1992. Its entry features energy efficient projects across different typologies including Rajasthan School, which is designed not to need air-conditioning even in the desert climate. The Aria Hotel in Maharastraj utilises local black basalt stone while Mirai House of Arches uses local adobe bricks, lime plaster and sandstone. Ras Houses is low-rise housing in bright colours derived from the traditional Rajasthan colour palette.