UAE stadium, Doha courthouse shortlisted for world's best building

A sports stadium in Al Ain, an Islamic study centre and courthouse in Doha and a cultural facility in Istanbul are among the projects which have been shortlisted for the World Building of the Year.

Winners will be announced at the World Architecture Festival, which will take place in Singapore.

Shortlist includes entries from 46 countries, with buildings by major international firms including Zaha Hadid Architects, Foster + Partners, OMA and BIG, as well as established regional studios such as Istanbul-based Emre Arolat Architects and Australian office John Wardle Architects.

Among the nominations are Woods Bagot’s renewable energy specialists IRENA’s Abu Dhabi headquarters, Pattern’s Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, engineered by WSP and home of Al Ain FC and the Qatar Facility Islamic Studies by the Qatar Foundation.

The Al-Ghanim Ali Mohammed Thunayan Al-Ghanim Center, Kuwait city, Kuwait, by AGi architects, the Antrepo 5 – MSGSU Museum of Painting and Sculpture, Istanbul by Emre Arolat Architects and Erciyes Congress and Cultural Center, Kayseri, Turkey, by MuuM are also on the list.

Australia has the largest number of projects this year – including a Brisbane hospital covered in green and purple fins and a Sydney tower by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners – followed by the UK and Turkey.

Winners will be selected from across 31 categories and announced during the festival, plus one project will be selected by a super jury to become World Building of the Year.

Singapore will present an opportunity for shortlisted architects to network and discuss the big conversations affecting the industry, as well also providing a chance for professional critiques from this years WAF “super jurors”. These are Sir Peter Cook (UK), Sou Fujimoto (Japan), Benedetta Tagliabue (Spain), Charles Jencks (UK/US), Kerry Hill (Singapore) and Manuelle Gautrand (France).

“We are delighted with the diversity and exemplar quality of submissions this year,” said WAF programme director Paul Finch. “Our international juries are in for a tough time deliberating on the category winners. We look forward to another inspirational event in Singapore this November.”

Yacht Club de Monaco in Monte Carlo by Foster+Partners