The World Architecture Festival has announced its shotlist for WAFX Awards, presenting twenty exemplary future projects that address major architectural issues facing society and the planet.

The 2022 WAFX shortlist celebrates international proposals which embrace cutting-edge design approaches to address major world issues ranging from tackling the climate emergency to building community resilience.

Shortlisted for the Future Projects category of the WAF Awards Programme, the selected projects, promoting innovative thinking, problem solving and design vision, will compete for the WAFX Award at this year's WAF 2022. The 2022 WAF will be held from 30 November to 2 December at the FIL, Lisbon, Portugal. 

This year’s shortlist includes two projects by young international design and architectural practice Built by Associative Data (BAD). This includes Tower of Life, an iconic tower proposed for Dakar, Senegal, symbolising Africa’s future role leading a global design agenda that champions ecology, bio-computation, material engineering, decentralised economy and sustainable development.

The shortlist also features a cultural venue co-designed with an indigenous prairie community in Canada by Oxbow Architecture to celebrate community and strengthen cultural traditions, and a nature and people first masterplan for a brownfield site in Toronto by a coalition of practices, including Henning Larsen Architects, KPMB, and SLA Architects.

A number of shortlisted projects show the power of architecture to marry physical and digital worlds in the future. These range from the mega YTL Arena Complex by Grimshaw in Bristol, UK, to a Graduation Hall for Sol Plaatje University by Savage+Dodd Architects in Johannesburg, South Africa.

"Big challenges require big commitment and fresh thinking. These future projects show that architects across the world are responding to complex problems in imaginative ways — with the bonus of some design delight," said Paul Finch, Programme Director of WAF. 

Live interviews with the architects behind the 20 WAFX shortlisted projects will take place at WAF, and the overall WAFX winner will be announced live during the festival, alongside other accolades including World Building of the Year, Landscape of the Year, Future Project of the Year and Interior of the Year.

World Architecture Community is official Media Partner of WAF and INSIDE 2022 and will be bringing you the latest news about the festivals' speaker line-up and sessions.

In addition, WAC readers can receive an exclusive 20% discount over entry fees for WAF and INSIDE by entering this promo code online: WAC2220.

This is the first time WAF has been hosted in the Portuguese capital, following previous editions in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Singapore and Berlin. 

The theme for the 2022 edition of the festival is "Together", and an international panel of speakers will explore and debate how architecture is responding to the renewal of collective life post-pandemic, and in the light of commitments to combatting climate change.

See the full 20 shortlisted projects for this year’s WAFX Awards:

Image credit courtesy of WAF

The Tower of Life by BAD - Built by Associative Data Dakar, Senegal

Image courtesy of WAF

YTL Arena Complex by Grimshaw Bristol, UK

Image courtesy of WAF

Muscowpetung Powwow Arbour by Oxbow Architecture Inc. & Richard Kroeke Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation, Saskatchewan, Canada

Image courtesy of WAF

Prototype (M5) by Henriquez Partners Architects Vancouver, Canada

Image courtesy of Alexandra Steed URBAN

SEEPARK (South Essex Estuary Park) by Alexandra Steed URBAN Essex, UK

Image courtesy of WAF

Shanghai Yangshupu Power Plant Regeneration by BDP Shanghai, China

Image courtesy of Secchi Smith, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

Holloway Prison by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris London, UK

Image courtesy of WAF

Conceptual Planning and Urban Design in the Coastal Area of Dong Fang City, China by Nanjing Urban Planning & Design Institute of S.E.U Co., Ltd, Dongfang, China

Image courtesy of WAF

Downsview Framework Plan by Henning Larsen (Urban Design); KPMB Architects (Architecture); SLA Architects (Landscape); Urban Strategies (Planning), Toronto, Canada

Image courtesy of WAF

Graduation Hall Sol Plaatje University by Savage+Dodd Architects Johannesburg, South Africa

Image courtesy of WAF

Limberlost Place by Moriyama & Teshima Architects Toronto, Canada

Image courtesy of WAF

The Forest City Project by BAD - Built by Associative Data + Guallart Architects Libreville, Gabon

Image courtesy of WAF

Oriel by Penoyre & Prasad London, UK

Image courtesy of WAF

The Atrium - Egypt Post Express Mail Building by Verform & DMI Cairo, Egypt

Image courtesy of WAF

Toronto's Indigenous Hub by Stantec Architecture Toronto, Canada

Image courtesy of WAF

The Black & White Building by Waugh Thistleton Architects /The Office Group London, UK

Image courtesy of Warren and Mahoney, BKK Architects and Taylor Cullity Lethlean

North East Link by Warren and Mahoney BKK Architects and Taylor Cullity Lethlean Melbourne, Australia

Image courtesy of WAF

Farsons Old Brewhouse and Trident Park by ritchie*studio Birkirkara, Malta

Ħal-Caprat Care Village by Valentino Architects 

Mukwa Waakaa'igan Indigenous Centre for Cultural Excellence by Moriyama & Teshima Architects 

Meanwhile, see the full shortlisted projects for WAF 2022 and INSIDE 2022.

> via WAF 

future projects shortlist World Architecture Festival