Building of the Year: The Latest Architecture and News

A new year has begun, and with it, a new edition of the ArchDaily Building of the Year Awards. For 17 years, we have handed over the reins to you, our readers, to choose the best architectural projects of the year, and you have consistently delivered. With a brand new set of over 3,000 projects from around the globe, it is now time to get lost in our projects library and start making your selection.

From a tiny library in rural Myanmar, awarded in the first ever edition of the Building of the Year in 2009, to an innovative waste-to-energy plant in 2025, the winners of the Awards have always been surprising, inspiring and, most importantly, a reflection of the current architectural landscape. Anyone can register for a free ArchDaily account and vote, and we invite you to delve into the catalog of projects published in 2025—all of which are eligible to participate under one or more of the 15 available categories—to choose your favorites.

Following two exciting weeks of nominations, ArchDaily's readers have evaluated over 500 projects and selected 15 finalists for the Building of the Year Award China. Architects and enthusiasts participated in the nomination process, choosing projects that exemplify what it means to push architecture forward. These finalists are the buildings that have inspired ArchDaily readers the most, which also reveal the growing trend of Chinese architecture.

Among the 15 finalists of the 2025 China Building of the Year Award, we can see a gradual shift in focus from large-scale public buildings to rural revitalization, community public spaces, exploration of new typology of school and small-scale interior spaces. People are paying more attention to their personal needs and living experiences as well as the surrounding spaces. We can also observe how different firms are responding to the needs of cities and users during the period of transformation in the real estate.

Before we get to shortlisted nominees, we want to highlight the values of this awards process — as the world's largest platform for architecture we are acutely aware of our responsibility to the profession, and to the advancement of architecture as a discipline. Since our mission is directly related to the architecture of the future—inspiring and educating the people who will design the urban fabric of the future—the trust placed in us by our readers to reflect architectural trends from regions around the whole world creates challenges that we are eager to rise to. The democratically-voted, user-centered Building of the Year Awards is one of the key pillars of our response to these challenges, aiming to tear down established hierarchies and geographical barriers. Here are the 15 finalists of the 2025 China Building of the Year Award, and the voting period will run from April 2nd to April 9th, 11:59 PM (Beijing Time), 2025. The final winners will be announced on April 10th, 2025. Click here to see the details and how to vote.

Sixteen years ago, we launched the ArchDaily Building of the Year Awards with a simple yet powerful idea: to let our readers choose their favorite buildings from our ever-growing library of projects. Thanks to your engagement, this award has grown into one of the most democratic and influential recognitions in architecture. Year after year, your collective insight has highlighted architectural excellence across cultures, economies, and landscapes worldwide.

This year was no exception. The 75 finalists have already showcased an outstanding range of spatial solutions, reflecting the power of collective intelligence in crafting a snapshot of today's most compelling architecture. Now, it's time to unveil the winners.

Time is running out! We invite you to take part in the ArchDaily 2025 Building of the Year Awards by casting your vote for the projects that have made the biggest impact on the built environment.

This year, ArchDaily's projects database has featured thousands of inspiring works, and thanks to your participation, 4,000 projects have been narrowed down to just 75 finalists—representing the best in each category. Now, it's time to choose the winners.

After two weeks of open voting in the 16th edition of the Building of the Year Awards, our readers have meticulously narrowed down a pool of almost 4,000 projects to a select group of 75 finalists spanning 15 categories. This year's awards honor the pinnacle of design, innovation, and sustainability on a global scale, showcasing an exceptional range of projects within the shortlist. As a crowdsourced award, we take pride in affirming that your selections authentically mirror the current state of architecture, and the caliber of this year's finalists further underscores the excellence and diversity prevalent in the field.

We invite you to participate in the ArchDaily 2025 Building of the Year Awards. We ask you to recognize and reward the projects that you feel are creating the largest impact in the built environment, that ArchDaily has published on our projects database in 2024. By nominating and voting, you form part of an interdependent, impartial, distributed network of jurors and peers that has consistently helped us celebrate architecture of every scale, purpose, and condition, from countries large and small, and architects of all descriptions. Over the coming weeks, your votes will result in 4000 projects being filtered down to just 15 – representing the best in each project category on ArchDaily.

Welcome to the ArchDaily Building of the Year Awards! Now in its 16th edition, this award continues to be the most democratic recognition in architecture, celebrating excellence and innovation across the built environment. With over 4,000 projects participating annually, it has become a global benchmark, powered by the voices of our passionate readers.

Each year, your votes shape the future of architecture, highlighting the most outstanding projects that push boundaries and redefine possibilities. As we embark on this journey once again, we invite you to be part of this collective celebration—honoring diversity, creativity, and ingenuity in architecture and design. Together, let's recognize and elevate the projects that inspire, challenge, and shape our world. Cast your vote and help define the architecture of today and tomorrow!

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Centered on the development of architectural projects in favelas and peripheries, the work of Coletivo LEVANTE showcases a deep sensitivity to the unique characteristics and nuances of these environments. According to the group, "the recognition of what already exists and is attributed with values lived and earned by the favela residents — landscapes, constructions, identities, and relationships" is what they seek as the raw material for their projects. This approach is evident in projects such as Centro Cultural Lá da Favelinha and House in Pomar do Cafezal, winner of the 2023 Building of the Year Award by ArchDaily.

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Fifteen years ago, we initiated the idea of the ArchDaily Building of the Year Awards with the goal that our readers would select their favorite buildings from our database. Thanks to this concept, you have transformed this award into one of the most democratic and influential in the field. Year after year, you have wielded your collective discernment to spotlight architectural excellence spanning diverse cultures, economies, and landscapes across the globe.

As we reflect on the latest iteration of our awards, it's abundantly clear that this year is no exception to the rule. The 75 finalists already showcased an array of exceptional structures, serving as a testament to the power of collective intelligence in curating a showcase of architectural ingenuity that resonates with the zeitgeist of our times. So, without further ado, meet YOUR winners.

The ArchDaily Building of the Year Awards is brought to you thanks to Dornbracht, renowned for leading designs for architecture, which can be found internationally in bathrooms and kitchens.

Welcome to the latest edition of the ArchDaily Building of the Year Awards, celebrating over 15 years of architectural excellence and innovation. This award has evolved into the pinnacle of democratic recognition within the architectural community, with an unprecedented participation of over 4,000 projects annually. Powered by the collective voice of our passionate readers worldwide, ArchDaily’s annual award stands as a beacon of impartiality, showcasing the most outstanding projects that shape our built environment.

As we embark on this journey once again, we invite you to join us in honoring the diversity, creativity, and ingenuity showcased by architects and designers across the globe. Through the democratic process of voting, our readers become integral participants, contributing to a shared vision of architectural greatness. Together, we continue to redefine and elevate the standards of excellence, ensuring that the most deserving projects receive the recognition they deserve.

The ArchDaily Building of the Year Awards is brought to you thanks to Dornbracht, renowned for leading designs for architecture, which can be found internationally in bathrooms and kitchens.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced Sands End Arts and Community Centre by Mæ Architects as the 2022 London Building of the Year. Sited beside the Clancarty Lodge in the northwestern corner of South Park, the community center is a development comprising several new pavilions arranged around the existing Clancarty Lodge, a landmark included in the project and refurbished as an exhibition space.

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During the week of the final selection of ArchDaily China Building of the Year 2021 Awards, we received a total of 75,000 votes, thanks to our readers from all over the world. ArchDaily China strives to bring more Chinese firms to the wave of global exchanges and introduce Chinese architecture to the world.

This year, CCTN Design, with Shougang NO.3 Blast Furnace Museum, were selected for the first position, adopting the design strategy of “sealing the old, dismantling the surplus, and replenishing the new”, and transforming the industrial remains of Beijing into an inviting urban space. MAD Architects, with YueCheng Courtyard Kindergarten, won second place by dismantling and expanding the traditional courtyard house. gad, with Mountain & Sea Art Museum, won the third position by solving the problem of mountain construction and shaping the sculpture form of the art museum.

Another year, another successful ArchDaily China Building of the Year Awards! With more than 75,000 votes gathered over the past 20 days, the results of the 2021 edition are in! Once more, the award has proved to be the largest architecture prize centered around people’s opinion. Crowdsourced, the most relevant projects of the year were nominated and selected by our readers.

The 2021 China Building of the Year Awards is brought to you thanks to Dornbracht, renowned for leading designs for architecture, which can be found internationally in bathrooms and kitchens.

It has been a vibrant first week of voting for the Building of the Year Awards. With more than 100,000 votes, gathered up till now, this prize has shown to be, one of the most relevant and democratic in the architecture community… where YOU are the decision-makers, selecting the best architecture of the year.

By voting, you become part of an unbiased and distributed network of jurors that has elevated the most relevant projects over the past decade. Over the next week, it is your collective intelligence that will filter over 4,500 projects down to just 75 finalists.

The 2021 Building of the Year Awards is brought to you thanks to Dornbracht, renowned for leading designs for architecture, which can be found internationally in bathrooms and kitchens.

2020 was a challenging year for ArchDaily and for all of us. The changes and uncertainty that emerged around the globe allowed us to double down on our mission to provide information, knowledge, and tools to architects, leveling the access to architectural knowledge and working towards a more diverse, equitable profession. This includes the importance of building a community, for which the Building of the Year Awards has always been one of our flagship community-led initiatives.

This is why for the 12th consecutive year, we are tasking our readers with the responsibility of recognizing and rewarding the projects that are making an impact in architecture and in our built environment, with ArchDaily’s 2021 Building of the Year Awards. By voting, you are part of an unbiased, distributed network of jurors and peers that has elevated the most relevant projects over the past decade. Over the next two weeks, your collective intelligence will filter over 4,500 projects down to just 15 stand-outs for the best in each category on ArchDaily.

The 2021 Building of the Year Awards is brought to you thanks to Dornbracht, renowned for leading designs for architecture, which can be found internationally in bathrooms and kitchens.

Another year, another successful ArchDaily China Building of the Year Awards! With more than 20,000 votes gathered over the past 20 days, the results of the 2020 edition are in! Once more, the award has proved to be the largest architecture prize centered around people’s opinion. Crowdsourced, the most relevant projects of the year were nominated and selected by our readers.

This year we celebrate three projects -- highlighting a wide range of interventions, typologies, scale, material and locations, the winners are a mere reflection of the vast outreach of the profession. With new names surfacing every year, this edition, as the previous ones did, honors well-established practices and the newcomers. High-profile figures include Atelier FCJZ with its bridge museum in the Chinese countryside, Neri&Hu Design and Research Office and its sculpture art center, and Atelier Lai's Bamboo Bridge.

True to its status, ArchDaily China, the most far-reaching Chinese architectural website, is and will always be a platform for all architecture enthusiasts. Curating the best in the world, thanks to the trust of architectural firms and the devotion of our readers, ArchDaily’s realm keeps expanding exponentially. For that, we are grateful! 

Another year, another successful ArchDaily Building of the Year Awards! With more than 95,000 votes gathered over the past 20 days, the results of the 2020 edition are in! Once more, the award has proved to be the largest architecture prize centered around people’s opinion. Crowdsourced, the most relevant projects of the year were both nominated and selected by our readers.

We invite you to participate in the ArchDaily Building of the Year 2020 Awards. We ask you to recognize and reward the projects that you feel are creating the largest impact in the built environment, that ArchDaily has published on our projects database in 2019. By voting, you form part of an interdependent, impartial, distributed network of jurors and peers that has consistently helped us celebrate architecture of every scale, purpose, and condition, from countries large and small, and architects of all descriptions. Already 4000 projects have been filtered down to just 15 finalists – representing the best in each project category on ArchDaily.

Remember, registered users will be able to vote their favorite project for each of the 15 categories included in the Awards. One vote per category. Voting ends on February 17th, 2020 at 12:01 AM (EST). Thank you once again for helping us continue to democratize architectural excellence across the world.