The World’s Best Architecture: Announcing the Winners of the 9th Annual A+Awards!

The 2021 A+Awards attracted creative and technical talent from around the globe — and the winning projects are breathtaking.

Architizer Editors Architizer Editors

Finally, after weeks of anticipation, the best architecture of the year can be revealed: Architizer is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2021 Annual A+Awards!

For the ninth year running, Architizer’s A+Awards has attracted breathtaking creative and technical talent from around the globe, with thousands of projects being submitted for consideration. After a rigorous and highly democratic judging process, the top accolades for the world’s largest and most international awards program for architecture have been decided.

Without further ado, explore every winner in the Jury and Popular Choice winner here:

See the Winners of the 2021 A+Awards

After a year of unprecedented social and environmental challenges, the theme of this year’s A+Awards — Architecture for a Changing World celebrates the architects and designers whose work strives to create a more resilient built environment for the years to come.

The 2021 winners include innovative projects — both built and conceptual — by internationally renowned firms and emerging practices alike. As well as year-round exposure online, every winning project will be published in a stunning hardbound compendium by The Monacelli Press, set for release later this year. Here’s a visual sneak peek of just some of this year’s extraordinary A+Awards-certified architecture…

Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum by Studio Zhu Pei, 2021 A+Awards Jury Winner in the Museum category; photo by schranimage

Maggie’s Leeds by Heatherwick Studio, 2021 A+Awards Jury and Popular Choice Winner in the Hospitals & Healthcare Centers category; photo by Hufton + Crow

The Rajkumari Ratnavati Girl’s School by Diana Kellogg Architects, 2021 A+Awards Jury Winner in the Primary & High Schools and Architecture +For Good category; photo by Vinay Panjwani

Opus by Zaha Hadid Architects, 2021 A+Awards Jury Winner in the Hotels & Resorts category; photo by Laurian Ghinitoiu

Presence in Hormuz 02 by ZAV Architects, 2021 A+Awards Jury Winner in the Architecture +Color category; photo by Soroush Majidi

Victorian Music Box by CCY Architects, 2021 A+Awards Jury Winner in the Architecture +Façades category; photo by Draper White

House LO by Atelier Lina Bellovicova, 2021 A+Awards Jury Winner in the Architecture +New Materials and Private House (XS <1000 sq ft) category; photo by Boysplaynice

The Springdale Library & Komagata Maru Park by RDH Architects, 2021 A+Awards Jury Winner in the Architecture +Community category; photo by Nic Lehoux

He Art Museum by Tadao Ando Architect and Associates, 2021 A+Awards Popular Choice Winner in the Museums category; photo courtesy He Art Museum

Smart Design Studio by Smart Design Studio, 2021 A+Awards Jury Winner in the Office Interiors (<25,000 sq ft.) and Office – Low Rise (1-4 Floors) categories; photo by Romello Pereira

In its 9th season, the A+Awards received over 5,000 entries from 100+ countries, including countless pioneering projects that respond to the most pressing global challenges of today — from climate change and urbanization to rising inequity and the COVID–19 pandemic.

Notable jurors included Professor Lesley Lokko (Founder & Director, African Futures Institute), Tom Kundig FAIA, RIBA, (Principal/Owner, Olson | Kundig), Céline Semaan (Founder & Executive Director, Slow Factory Foundation), Aric Chen (M+ Museum, Design Miami), Fernanda Canales (Founder & Director, Fernanda Canales Arquitectura) and many more. A Jury-selected Winner and a Popular Choice Winner were awarded in each category, with over 400,000 votes cast by the voting public.

Get Ready for the 10th Anniversary A+Awards

The next season of the A+Awards promises to be the biggest yet, as we hit an amazing milestone! It will be our 10th year celebrating the world’s best architecture, and we will be running special editorials, events and more to mark a decade of design innovation. We’ll also be searching for the architects who will set the benchmark for the next 10 years — and we would love to see your practice be a part of it.

To register your interest for 10th Anniversary A+Awards Awards and secure an exclusive Early Bird Discount on your submissions, head this way:

Register for the 10th Annual A+Awards

Thank you to every single participant in this year’s A+Awards — the world of architecture and design is richer thanks to your hard work and dedication, and we are honored to be able to share your work with the world. Watch out for special coverage of this year’s A+Award Winners and Special Honorees on Architizer Journal and across social media throughout the coming weeks!

Top image: House of Wisdom, designed by Foster + Partners and photographed by Shoayb Khattab, 2021 A+Awards Jury Winner in the Architecture +Photography & Video category.

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